


By Any Other Name

by HybridTrash13



Series: Dropped Pebbles [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Agender Character, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism/Aspergers Syndrome, Canon-insert, Chakra Breakdown, Chakra Hypersensitivity, Clan Politics, Dysphoria, Existential Issues, Fuinjutsu, Gen, Health Issues, Identity Issues, Introspection, Moral Issues, Nightmares, Ninshu, Politics, Regular Politics, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Supernatural Elements, TV Tropes references, Tumblr Prompt, Unreliable Narrator, mental issues, mythology and religion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-17 12:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 96,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4667261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridTrash13/pseuds/HybridTrash13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life. Death. Rebirth. That’s the cycle. Tragically thanks to tumblr I’m more focused on the morality behind stealing another’s life rather than actually living. Everything ripples out and even if I’m not focusing on it danger lurks in the shadows. After all, the future doesn’t wait for you to be prepared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay a message to anyone who’s reading this story. For the most part. This is primarily a writing exercise. It’s practice, so it will be weird and it will be confusing. Especially because for the most part it’s in present tense and first person perspective.
> 
> Also I need a bit of criticism here. Please point out those moments where I completely lose you, or frustrate or confuse you. Please point out inconsistencies, and places where I don’t make sense internally. Please tell me what I’m getting wrong. Shout at me, and scream where I can improve, because I need it.
> 
> Because otherwise it’ll probably only improve as I realize that I’m getting confusing. And it won’t really be proper improvement. Also for anyone wondering the “conversation” over on tumblr that prompted this idea even starting can be found here: http://tozettewrites.tumblr.com/post/127549401876/yo-so-this-is-kind-of-a-response-to-the-tenten 
> 
> Me being me, I took that and ran with it... Although as people will notice, I still am having the character work through these issues because they do kind of need to be able to function, otherwise the story will almost entirely be “Arghhh NO don’t like me. I’m a lie!” and well, go nowhere. So instead we get an awkward little somewhat Autistic baby here. And Chakra Hypersensitivity, along with the whole Guilt and how do I deal with this, it’s not my body thing...
> 
> But seriously, give me criticism people. I need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, this only happened because of tumblr... The character that I’m using isn’t me, although they are based partially on me... And this time the current me rather than the me from last year. Of course, they’re not entirely me, not in the least.

Browsing tumblr often leads to things that are best left forgotten really. But stumbling upon people discussing what they would find interesting to read about in a SI story... It makes me pause and I read it because really, that would be interesting to read... And write honestly. Because troubled characters give an entirely new view on the world and humanity.

The way that people react when reading about them, or hearing about them and how the author would actually create that character and explain their quirks. Yet at the same time it’s an intimidating concept, because you would be scared of trivializing the whole thing... Or overexaggerating it.

Making it seem too simple, or too complicated. Yet it sticks in my mind as I shut down my computer for the night and stretch out in my bed. I snuggle down into the blankets and begin to think back over my other SI stories and concepts...

One of them does have a guilt arc, but it’s not for that reason... What would it be like, to explore that concept. To write it, to read it, to share it? I yawn and close my eyes tugging my teddy closer before slowly drifting off into the deep abyss of sleep.

* * *

Only to abruptly be thrust screaming discomfort into a new world. What’s going on? What’s happening? Why is everything so abstract in tones of grey blobs with little to no distinction? I scream and wail, because I have no other way of otherwise expressing my emotions at this turn of events.

It’s probably not going to be the last time that I have such a reaction to things, but I really am kind of overly reactive to abrupt changes.

Even if my schedule seems kind of random to an outsider there is a certain pattern to it. If you watch it closely enough anyway... So to suddenly be dealing with this, it’s more than a little bit disconcerting.

Especially because I can feel myself being carried around. Arms around my now suddenly much, much smaller frame. My small and frail body in this new situation. And something else, that’s within me aside from my blood, aside from the already weird feeling that I’m used to.

I’ll admit, across both of my lives I definitely am not the kind of infant that you would want to take care of. In my last one I had been told by my mother that I would always scream, most likely from discomfort and pain because that is all that I would complain about as soon as I was able to talk.

In this life I scream all the time in response to the new feeling that’s flowing through my body... It itches. It burns and it just generally makes me miserable, so I make my parents miserable in response.

They do absolutely everything that they can to try and calm me down. And when that ultimately fails they take me back to the hospital to see if there’s something wrong. I don’t really know what the doctor diagnoses me as, I just know that they diagnose me as something. I swear that the language barrier is the most annoying thing ever.

At least though this time passes relatively quickly. Since most of the time when I’m not screaming I’m sleeping. Or otherwise occupied with something that takes my full attention. Or the full attention of my little infantile body really. Which also shuts down my mind and allows me to recover a bit...

Except there comes the nightmares. Because the sensation follows me into my dreams and when I wake it’s back there in the forefront of my mind. Because it’s not just in my body, I can feel it as I breathe in, and it makes me feel as though I’m drowning sometimes. It’s a struggle, constant and never really ending... But slowly, surely I adjust to my changed circumstances.

Because it’s like learning to live all over again. Growing up and understanding the world, to be able to walk, talk and slowly gain control over your own future. Allowing the little things that set you apart, that make you different become background noise. Like when I could feel the blood as it pumped around my body, the clothing I would wear...

So this new feeling that’s always there, I simply allow myself to feel it, and eventually. It stops scaring me so much and it stops being painful. Because it’s just another difference. And at that point my vision is clearing up, and I’m beginning to be able to discern the words that I’m hearing.

But for the most part I don’t really pay that much attention and it all remains as background noise. So instead I play around with what I can do... With what I can control. Which mostly means that I poke at the strange feeling within my own body and focus on it.

Because it’s fascinating to me. Since when I poke at it something shifts and I can feel that it’s shifting around within me... Which I can’t really do when I focus on the flow of my blood. So I instead spend time playing around with this other energy.

Which, I’m assuming that it’s an energy anyway.

Because it feels kind of like an energy. And it’s in the air, cloying and clinging... It’s in everything really, which is simply fascinating to someone who can’t really do much about their situation. I think that if I were a bit older I would be asking question after question... Probably driving people up the wall simply because they wouldn’t be able to answer.

And manipulating it comes easily, it responds so quickly like a particularly obedient pet to it’s name. Or one of those kids who put their hand up to respond to every question, or my father when I spilt hot coffee over myself as a five year old. It’s easy.

And it’s something to occupy my mind.

Except that I never talk. I observe and I watch as I’m able to actually see things. But I refuse to talk because things are starting to add themselves together into my mind.

I’ve never really been an idiot. People have tossed that one into my face, have mocked me and laughed.  
But, I just see the world a bit differently.

So by the time I’m able to begin talking I refuse. I listen, and at night I mouth the words over and over to myself. Or whisper them, but I don’t say anything in front of anyone else.

Because it feels wrong. This whole place feels wrong.

The outfits( _uniforms_ ) that people wear are familiar, the headbands( _hitai-ates_ ) that they wear, and the flak jackets... But the thing that bugs me the most is the symbol that I see everyone around me and my parents wear.

A red and white fan...

The Uchiha Clan symbol. From _Naruto_.

I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is something that I’m going to be continuing. Do I have a plan for this, not really beyond exploring the concept and just generally running with it. I don’t have a plan, I’ve got some vague ideas, but no solid plan at all.


	2. I'm Who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, here’s some more of this little thing... Also, enter that period of awkwardness that ensues when your dealing with a character that doesn’t quite function in the same way as other people.
> 
> Which basically means I’m bringing Autism/Aspergers into this, which is an actual issue that I deal with in real life. Among other things that will bleed through for this character to deal with on top of the guilt complex that I’m slowly building up.

The fact that I’m an Uchiha is horrifying enough on it’s own. Because the entire clan ends up dead sometime in the next twenty years or so... More than that though, is exactly which Uchiha I am. Not some nameless background character.

Rather no I’m Uchiha Obito...

Yeah, practically the instant that the name sinks in and attaches itself to me I kind of have a mini-meltdown. More screaming and lashing out with flailing limbs, before retreating back into the silence that has slowly become a shield. Because if I refuse to talk then I don’t _really have to acknowledge the changes_. I don’t have to accept that I’m _not myself anymore_. Don’t have to face the fact that I _stole Obito’s place_.

Because, when I have something pointed out to me... I can’t help but focus on it.

 _Thief, liar, pretender..._ I. Am. Not. Who. They. Think. I. Am.

I’m not the Uchiha Obito who should be here. I stole his life, not through any choice of my own... But I still stole it. So it makes me rather uncomfortable to be carried around by his parents. To listen to them as they talk to me( _but not really me..._ ) and to see how hard they’re trying.

By the time I’m one and a half I had expected them to be dead, but... But they’re still here. _Still alive_. Which is terrifying in an entirely different way, because in canon Obito’s been an orphan for as long as he can remember. Which, considering that I personally have some vague if still existing memories of my own time in my previous life as a _two year old_ , well... I always held to the personal belief that by the time he was one and a half they were dead.

So for them to be _alive_ well, obviously I had changed something. What, I’m not quite sure, but it’s terrifying. Yet at the same time, it’s elating. Because I’m not even actively doing anything yet I’ve changed something, it’s something small... But its still _something_.

Except that it’s still difficult for me to not feel guilty about their attention on me. Because I’m not the child that they believe me to be. _Impostor_! I’m not Obito, I’m not even a boy. Except, I’m not a girl either...

And that weirdness is part of what makes this entire situation even more uncomfortable to me. I can cope with not speaking. I can refuse to even attempt to learn to crawl around and hit the other toddler milestones. I can fuss and generally be disagreeable with growing up. I can find some escape in playing around with the magical energy called chakra sticking my blankets and other bedding to myself among other things.

But my own body being so different. I can’t quite _take that_. I mean sure in my previous life at a glance people would assume that I was a female, but I was at least comfortable in my own skin. Here and now though, all I can remember, all that I can think about is the fact that someone else should be wearing this skin.

Getting this attention and care.

Living.

I’m not living really am I though... _Denying, pretending_ and _lying_ but not really living. I think that I’m just worrying my( _Obito’s_ ) parents more. At least in the beginning I screamed all the time, wailed and kicked up a fuss let them know that I was still alive if in a lot of discomfort.

Now though I’m almost completely silent. I barely move, wriggle or crawl, not really caring or trying to live at all. It’s exhausting honestly... It makes me wonder why does it take _more_ effort to do _nothing_? It’s so confusing and wrong but it’s simply a fact of life I suppose. Because as much as I try not to do anything, I’m still learning stuff.

I can talk, I just choose not to. I can understand what people are saying around me, and I can read them... Which is actually kind of interesting.

They try so hard. And even if I feel like such a horrible, horrible person... I enjoy the attention. I appreciate it, and I can’t lie about that to myself. Even if it feels like a betrayal on several different levels. To _Obito_ , to the Obito that should have been... And ultimately to the parents of my first life... Even if my dad was kind of dead back there.

So slowly taking a fair bit longer than I suppose that other’s would have I adjust. I lower my barriers and allow myself to accept their care and attention. And... I allow myself to move around. Crawling is easy, hands and knees. All fours, it’s also quicker and I’m more balanced. Yet once I’ve gotten it down I quickly move onto walking.

Usually clinging to the pants that my mother wears and using her as a balance. The chakra that I can feel from her helps. So does the chakra that I can feel from my dad. (It’s still mildly uncomfortable referring to them with those monikers, but... Considering how much I’ve had to rely on them, it’s just as uncomfortable to not refer to them using those monikers...) It helps really, puts me at ease and relaxes my barriers.

Which is mostly instinct really. The instincts that come from being a child again, hiding behind the leg of your parents and thinking the world and everything else of them.

There’s no pressure on me though. No pressure on me, even if the rest of the clan is silently disapproving of my state. It still surprises me though, because as an Uchiha I would expect there to be some kind of pressure. Some push from them for me to be a little prodigy... Which to be honest not even canon/prime Obito was.

Not a genius, not a prodigy. If anything I’m incredibly behind the curve. At least, from an outsider’s perspective...

Because I’ve always seen the world just that touch differently. Even as a small child in my previous life, nothing was ever _just black and white_. There was yellow, and green, blue and orange. Red, purple, mixed in with the black and white. Good wasn’t always good, and bad didn’t necessarily mean that they weren’t doing the right thing. I see morality in colour where most people see it in shades of grey. And maybe it is... But maybe it isn’t.

The thing that I enjoy the most though, is the quiet moments when my parents will select a book and then read it to me. I’ve always enjoyed stories... And even here, with so many of the books clearly giving away _exactly_ what kind of world this is. I can’t help but enjoy them. Tracing the pretty kanji and other symbols with my hands committing them to memory.

Learning to read. It’ll always be something that I’ll pick up the fastest. Writing, ugh Calligraphy though is a bit harder. As soon as I have a decent or half-way decent understanding of what I’m reading though I manage to somehow get the message across that I wish to learn to write.  
It’s a single avenue of communication.

Something that I’ll allow myself even if talking will never be considered. Because talking was _Obito’s_ thing. He was a loudmouth, all things considered. It’s probably why I also haven’t even considered the idea of a mask... I’ll just avoid mirrors. But the idea of a mask reminds me too strongly of _Tobi_. Of the _facade_ that _Obito_ wore... And if all this is just a facade that I’m putting on, I want to do it without too many parallels.

Call it a quirk but it’s the truth.

I will be myself even if I’m someone different. Except, I’m not entirely sure how well I’m going to be able to differentiate myself from Obito... Because I’m now living _his_ life.

Thanks to tumblr I’m not going to be able to completely forget about that either.

So writing... Much harder than I first considered. And incredibly, incredibly frustrating. The stupid brush is so clumsy in my small and chubby palm. I can’t paint a straight line at all and it makes me glare at the parchment(?), canvas(?), whatever material half-hoping that it would spontaneously burst into flames much to the amusement of my mother.

She’s actually not that half-way bad of a teacher all things considered.

Mostly it’s that I’m a horrible student. I get the concept and the idea, but I just can’t apply it at all. Or I get distracted by something else half-way through. Which honestly isn’t entirely my fault, because I am in the body of a toddler right now.

Every little thing catches my attention. Entrances and fascinates me, especially when it’s a new chakra signature. Or well, anything to do with chakra really. Which actually includes random spikes of the energy in the very air itself.

Still growing up a second time is actually kind of enjoyable once I push past the worst of my issues with having stolen someone else’s life. I can roll around and laugh, and play just like any other child with no one giving me weird looks or dismissing me as a whacko. I can grin evilly to myself in a corner somewhere and the worst that will happen is my parents rolling their eyes or double checking to see if I’ve set up any pranks. I can run in as many circles as I want and no one will really blink twice.

Basically I can be the child that I always kind of wanted to act like and nobody will dismiss me, or call me simple, or an idiot. Or generally be douchebags about my mentality.

Because so what if I never really grew up? So what if I always used to retreat to a land of make-believe and fantasy? Even here I may use those escapes, yet at the same time, now there’s other stuff to focus on.

Life and living, dealing with the future. There’s no pressure on me, but... But I already have made some choices.

I may not be Obito. I _stole_ his life. But... But I will do my best to be worthy of this position.

My eyes narrow and my hands ball into fists when I consider my choices for the future. I could all to easily decide to remain mostly civilian, but doing that would leave me helpless. And, in all honesty, I’m done with been helpless.

I’m done with guilt and agony, and just everything.

I may not be Obito. I am a _thief, liar, facade, pretender_ and _fake_. But I will still try my best, and I’ll push through my problems.

Now just to hope that I’ll actually be able to face those familiar faces from this generation without breaking more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fairly quick update... And well yeah. Some issues finally showing up, among other things. Also the chapters are relatively short right now... They will probably lengthen as time wears on and the character grows up... As I’m able to actually have them doing more.
> 
> Also, comments, even a single word would be received with all the appreciation. Criticism as well, like are there things that don’t make any sense? Places where you got confused, or did I miss something? Shout at me if you must.
> 
> And again, there’s no real plan for this in the long run... Apart from exploring the concept and well, a bit of personal reflection I guess, even if this character isn’t exactly me.


	3. Academy Days: Let's Do This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m debating going back and rewriting this all in past tense... But erm... I actually kind of like it the way that it currently is right now. That and this is kind of mostly writing practice more than anything really serious.
> 
> Well... Despite the subject matter anyway. Because it is kind of serious... I suppose.

Actually convincing my parents that I want to be a shinobi is the hard part really. Since I refuse to speak at all I’m rather limited. I have to mime or motion, steal their kunai and shuriken. Which honestly ends more often than not with me glaring at now bleeding palms and musing on possibly investing in a pair of gloves.

Except, that no matter how many hints I drop both of my parents still don’t seem to get it. It’s frustrating really, because I’m quickly approaching the age of five, and since that’s when Kakashi was in the Academy, when he _graduated_ for crying out loud. I should be there as well, since we’re in the same age group.

Of course, there’s the fact that five is only the minimum age requirement for entry... So it might be that they just want me to enter later on. Except, that could be worse for my mental state...

Considering at least if I enter the Academy _now_ I’ll be able to get used to the other ‘canon’ characters quickly. I’ll be able to deal with any feelings of guilt and twitchiness sooner. And probably wouldn’t have a meltdown in front of everyone... Probably.

So in the end I resort to stealing my mother’s hitai-ate. A much more difficult task than I initially thought.

It’s incredibly fun though. Sneaking around the house all stealthy, or as stealthily as a toddler could be and trying to snatch the blue cloth. Or trying to remove it from her own forehead when I manage to get close enough... Which generally fails even more but never ceases to make me and my mother smile.

It’s rather peaceful actually, but I still seem to be failing to get my message across. Or I’m missing the signs that I am actually getting the message across. It’s a bit hard for me to really tell.

Eventually I give up with subtle and simply scribble the kanji for shinobi on one of my practice papers and hold it up with this way too serious look on my face. It probably comes across as adorable but still. Both Okaasan and Otousan trade glances over my head before sitting down by me.

Calling them by the Japanese terms is actually easier really, that way it feels slightly less of a betrayal to my original family.

"Obito" Okaasan’s voice is incredibly soft and quiet as she speaks to me. "When you were much smaller we had to take you into the hospital because you always wailed..." yeah, I kind of remember that, very clearly... And as they continue I slowly realize and understand what they’re talking about.

Chakra Hypersensitivity... Like _Nara Shikako_ from  Dreaming of Sunshine I’ve kind of forgotten to communicate the fact that I actually can use it with my parents. So I wind up laughing and then calling a little bit of my chakra to my hands so that they light up.

The glow isn’t exactly blue for me... And it’s not green because that would be Iryo-chakra. It’s orange, which amuses me, immensely. I’m not sure why some people have oddly colored chakras, they just do. Such as Minato’s yellow chakra, which will later give him the nickname of Yellow Flash... And the Hatake Clan’s white chakra, which has peculiar properties all of it’s own.

Also, considering other reincarnations. _Nara/Mesuji Natsumi_ from  Deja Vu no Jutsu she initially had purple chakra due to the imbalance of her Chi and Ki. Within the same series there’s also _Naomi_ who has maroon chakra but isn’t a reincarnation. And there was at least one story where the main character had black chakra but... Well that’s irrelevant really.

Still colored chakra, a mystery for the ages...

But anyway, mine is orange. Don’t know what that means, nor do I really particularly care beyond the fact that at least I’m able to prove that I can use it. Therefore, I can go to the Academy and well...

I’ll figure things out, eventually...

Probably.

Still, I’m not entirely sure of my own reasons behind wanting to be a shinobi. Oh sure I’m well and truly decided on that point. I’m going to be a shinobi... But my reasoning is murky.

Is it only because I don’t want to be helpless? Is it some misguided attempt to make everything better... Or is it the misplaced sense of guilt towards Obito for stealing his life... Or more likely a mix.

But still, channeling chakra doesn’t really hurt as much as it simply happens. And I’m aware of it. I grin brightly at my parents, chakra reflecting an orange flicker over my face. They seem surprised. Which honestly isn’t that much of a shock considering I’ve never really bothered actively doing anything with my chakra in front of them.

I don’t keep the glow up for too long though, because it’s tiring really. I drop it and yawn rubbing at one eye before expectantly looking at both of my parents.

They trade glances once more. "Well, I suppose that’s one thing that we won’t have to worry about" Otousan tries with a bemused smile on his face. I sleepily nod my head before closing my eyes and relaxing into my mother’s hug.

I’m going to be a shinobi.

* * *

Oh Kami... Why in the world did I think that _this_ was a good idea?

At least I’m not late like the canon/prime Obito always was... But, oh Kami! There’s so many kids around. It’s terrifying, and I’m hiding behind my Okaasan’s leg, because Otousan is finally taking missions again.

They had explained that one to me. Apparently because of my apparent chakra hypersensitivity there had been a lot of fear for my life. I could have died by choking on the Natural Energy in the air... So they had remained home and off missions until they could be sure that I wouldn’t die.

Which is well... But here and now. My eyes are impossibly wide as I stare at my own impending doom that’s in the form of a school. It’s not the schoolwork that scares me. I’m scared of the other children.

Scared of who I might recognise. Scared of being forced to face affection from people when it’s not really _me_ who they’ll be caring for. _Obito_ they’ll think that I’m _Obito_ , worry for him... When he no longer even exists. Never really existed in this timeline but that doesn’t make it any better.

Not really.

Carefully Okaasan removes me from her leg and then gets me settled into the flood of children. Which is slowly organizing itself as the Sandaime begins the introductory speech. Which is well... I thought that was only something that happened for the Rookies or whatever. Then again, I’m not exactly that aware of what actually happens in canon... Not really.

I mean I know things, but how much of it is actually canon is debatable. Since well... I’m a true blooded fanfictioner, gaining most of my information from non-canon sources such as fanfiction or wiki pages. So any particular plans for the future of the plot kind of boil down to... _Survive_ , oh, and don’t become Madara’s pawn.

So anyway as soon as the Sandaime finishes his speech a bunch of Chunin come forwards and start to call out names... Half of them I don’t really recognise, most likely people who either die in the immediate future, will be shoved straight into the Genin corps, or well, the people who drop out.

As soon as I hear my name I give Okaasan one final glance, before I wave and then cheerfully join my class. My name is one of the last ones called, so there’s already a fair amount of students there. And I can easily pick out familiar silver hair... Kakashi.

It’s hard to maintain my composure, just knowing that I share classes with him. Even though I already knew that he would be in my class. So would Rin... Is Gai in the Academy yet? I can’t remember, there are some weird details there... Considering I can recall from wiki information that Gai graduates at seven...

Of course, considering all of that, Kakashi’s not really going to spending long here. So I probably won’t be dealing with him that much. It feels weird to know stuff like this, especially when I’m only just now settling into the classroom.

Which is well, the first few classes are basically a return to kindergarten. Names, introduce yourself, making sure everyone has supplies and it’s kind of face desk worthy. Because ugh, school days and stuff that I technically already know.

Well, apart from a lot of the names and faces. Although some of the ones that I do know and recognise make me even more twitchy. There’s Kurenai and Asuma, and a few of those who’re technically older than us but seem to share our class, possibly because some parents are ridiculous...

It’s a touch overwhelming.

Because I can feel their chakra, and my own is buzzing now. I’m shaking... I don’t belong here... _I’m not Obito... They’re not supposed to know me as him... I’m not even a boy._ I stare down at my fisted hands in my lap, only half listening to the teacher at the front of the room.

It’s not like I’m not already mostly aware of what we’re going to be learning anyway.

Not a prodigy. _Cheat, liar, pretender._ I know this stuff already though. It’s all introductory information, which well... Anyone from a clan or shinobi family would already know this, so I’m guessing that it’s more for the orphans and the civilian children.

Just as I’m debating whether or not I could get away with folding up a sheet of paper as a plane the bell goes and we’re let out for a lunch period. Which is well...

I basically disappear to settle behind a tree and just watch everyone. Look at me, the little professional people watcher. Except, it’s easier than actually trying to reach out to anyone. Since this way I don’t have to worry about any feelings of distance or guilt, or anything.

I don’t have to force a smile and hope that people can’t see how much the facade hurts.

And it’s surprising just how much simple observation can tell you about people. Kakashi, much like I am, is a people watcher... And I honestly think that mostly it has to do with the fact that he doesn’t know how to approach others.

I would be tempted to approach him, but at the same time that would mean interacting with someone who had been involved in what should have been _Obito’s life._ It would mean changing things and accepting my position in all it’s entirety.

Okaasan and Otousan are still difficult enough... Could I bring Kakashi into that small circle of people who I don’t freak out about?

Watching him, he looks rather lonely and lost...

I think that perhaps I could. I could bring him into my circle, and I wouldn’t freak out _too much_ over it. And feeling his chakra, it’s different, calming even when he’s on the complete opposite side of the room/field/whatever.

As lunch ends and Taijutsu class begins I firm up my resolve. I would approach Kakashi, somehow. He needs someone to just be there, and even if I would be risking a mental breakdown every second I communicated with him... It would probably help us both in the long run.

Probably, also running laps is never ever going to be fun. Especially considering how freaking slow I am compared to everyone else.

Well, at least I’ve got a few years to get ready, before shit hits the fan in the form of the Third Shinobi War... And then Madara... And possibly myself turning evil.

Yay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happening here, apart from the sort of initial introduction to the Academy. Honestly, if it wasn’t already obvious before I have no idea what I’m even doing. But I have kind of gained a vague sort of plan I guess...
> 
> Also, Kakashi will probably feature in the next chapter, and Sakumo might make an appearance, although I make no promises.


	4. Academy Days: Hatake Kakashi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much to really say on this chapter. Apart from just enjoy it I guess. Also Kakashi finally makes his appearance... And really it’s hard to try and write little kids. I just kind of flailed over this chapter. No Sakumo sorry.

At the end of the day I kind of label the last few classes under the mental tag of _shit that went badly_ , very badly really. Epic fail levels of badly. It’s kind of absurd just how bad I am in the physical department. Not really baffling, but absurd. Even the civilian kids are faster than me, and that’s well disheartening.

I kind of get the feeling that I’m missing something. But for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is.

I kind of wish that I could just flash through my memories of other fanfiction that I read in my previous life. Because the answer is probably in one of them... Ugh. It’s just that I’ve read so many sorting through the information would sooner give me a headache than an answer, and probably turn up something ridiculous like Sasuke in a dress...

I yelp and cover my eyes because argh! No, bad mind. Bad, bad... (Even if Sasuke does look kind of cute in a dress...) Any attention that my actions draw is soon placed elsewhere as there’s not really that much to take away from it except that I’m reacting to something.

Of course since I’m doing so poorly in the physical aspect I quickly resolve to do better. I will do better, I’ll catch up and then... Well I’ll figure it out. I owe something to this chance after all. Even if it’s ill-begotten.

It’s been five years since I was reborn here and I still have issues over that fact. I’m not Obito, even if I _am_. I don’t belong here, _even if I do_. I don’t fit. And walking home after class has let out gives me way too much time to think on these things. To consider where my life is likely going and what the future holds. Which in all honesty is not something that I really want to be thinking about.

Reaching the Uchiha Clan compound I pause briefly to cheerfully offer a wave to one of my slightly older cousins. And there’s Aunt Mikoto. I kind of freeze momentarily upon seeing her, it’s a kind of surreal chill when I consider the relation there between us. Among everything else, because I don’t belong.

Hell, even the _real Obito_ didn’t really belong in the Uchiha Clan. Not until Madara got him anyway.

Except I’m an oddity even compared to him. With my silence, and hypersensitivity... And Everything else. Moral issues included because I’m still not sure that I could really kill anyone, although considering how much I found myself researching serial killers and watching such documentaries well...

We’ll just have to wait and see I think.

Reaching home I slide open the door to see Okaasan sitting at the table a soft smile on her face. I grin and trot happily up to her. Even if my performance in the final few classes was abysmal at least I’m actually going to be a shinobi. And, well I enjoyed it all things considered. Even if I’m going to be once more experiencing PE-itis. And possibly Monday-itis since Monday’s are always the worst... Although really I dread Friday’s the most since I’m used to random pop quizzes at the end of the week.

“So how was your first day?” she asks me quietly as I climb up onto her lap with a huge grin. My eyes slip shut and I laugh lightly. All things considered it wasn’t that bad aside from my abysmal performance in Taijutsu Class. “You enjoyed it then?” I can feel her arms wrap around me and I nod my head resting it against her chest, listening to the beat of her heart.

It’s comforting really, and calms me down a little bit. Releases some of the panic that had been gathering since morning.

It’s something that reminds me of my old mother. Of snuggling up in warm blankets and reading story books. Of hot chocolate and shared memories. It’s nostalgic but not in a bad way. It hurts a bit, and I feel horrible in the context that it should be _Obito_ snuggling with his parents. Should be that little lonely orphan boy who’s able to get to know his parents who care for and love him. Not me, not an _impostor_ yet, some days I wonder... How much of an impostor am I now? I’ve been here for five years.

I remember being born.

I’m growing up... And learning at a rate that’s almost normal now. Even if concepts are easy. But, I still stole this life from someone else.

Someone who had the potential to change the whole world. For the better, or for the worse.

“Obito!” I hum as I reopen my eyes and look curiously up at my Okaasan’s face framed by her brown hair. “When Netsu gets back home in a few days he’s going to start you in a physical training regime.” I nod my head, almost eager, because yes. I’m going to be training with Otousan, learning some of the Uchiha taijutsu I would bet. “And, I’ll also be helping out. With your stretches among other things...” I huff before she laughs lightly and lifts me up walking back towards the study. “Right now though, Calligraphy lessons...”

I whine but don’t really struggle. As annoying as calligraphy is, it’s useful.

And, it’s also soothing.

An acceptable distraction from the world outside as I focus on the characters and brush strokes.

* * *

For the most part the first week passes in a fairly similar tone. Lessons are boring as anything, to the point where I begin mostly tuning out the teacher and instead playing around with my chakra. Seeing what exercises I could get away with, and exactly how long until it started to itch or feel too weird/uncomfortable. 

I got fairly good at creating chakra strings really. Manipulating the paper on my desk and table and simply having fun, and getting away with making it seem as if it were simply the wind.

I didn’t really make that much progress in the way of befriending Kakashi though. Mainly because any attempt is sort of stopped half-way through by my own nerves and a mini-panic attack. Or on one memorable occasion a teacher who noticed that I seemed to be having a breakdown. They thought that it was a medical emergency.

That was also how I learnt that iryo-chakra hurts. I ended up hissing and spitting at the Iryonin, refusing to let them or their glowing hands anywhere near me.

It didn’t help that it felt inherently wrong. Just someone else’s chakra trying to interact with my own... It seems so, intimate in some way. Ugh, yet when I remember the concept of Ninshu it intrigues and fascinates me... Again though, seems so intimate.

So yeah, and now it’s Friday. The last day before the weekend, and I’m able to feel Kakashi all the way across the classroom. Today, today I promise myself that I’ll attempt to make friends with him. I’ll become his support and his friend no matter how hard it gets.

No matter how much I don’t belong, that this isn’t my life.

No matter that Kakashi is someone who Obito, the real Obito would have gotten to know in an entirely different context. I need to be able to function. I _will be a shinobi_ after all.

And I can’t let this bump stop me.

So when they let us out for lunch I take several deep breaths and look around the field for Kakashi. Where’s he usually at during this time...

It takes me a few moments to remember, Kakashi usually finally stops watching everyone else, and wanders over to the practice logs. He’ll either toss the wooden kunai/shuriken or practice Katas. Honestly, he’s much better at both than I am. Slowly I meander in that direction and then I just stop and watch him...

It's kind of entrancing really, because he’s the same age as me, we’re both five. Both still children lost in this world and heading towards war. And yet, it’s obvious that he was born to fight. His movements fluid like dancing, almost all of the weapons hitting exactly where he’s trying to throw them...

It makes me feel so small.

I was seventeen when I fell into this world, and I’ve been here for five years. I don’t think that I’ll ever fit in because of my issues with exactly what that means...

But...

But I’ll try. And this is the first step.

So I take another set of deep breaths and fist my hands before gathering all of my confidence. And then I walk right over to him. I raise a hand as though to reach out and he slowly turns to face me. Those dark eyes meet my own and...

I can’t do this...

I freak out, tears coming to my eyes and almost yelping as I turn ready to flee. Only for a hand to grab my arm. Okay...

I blink and turn back to him. He looks bored, and curious really. 

“It would be a waste... To try so hard only to run away now wouldn’t it?” he says and I blink my jaw opening and closing with no sound coming out. Not even one of my usual squeaks or barely translatable odd sounds.

Slowly I nod my head, it’s weak, disbelieving. Kakashi’s touch is warm, and kind of comforting. I can feel his chakra distantly as it kind of brushes alongside my own. Familiarizing itself really. It’s different. From Okaasan’s and Otousan’s chakra milder and easier to deal with... And it makes me feel more at peace.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Hatake Clan’s white chakra has it’s own unique properties... This, this is part of it. A calming effect, a sense of peace and I relax. My fear ebbing away and a smile spreading across my face.

Of course, now comes the trickiest part. How do I explain without any words that I want to be his friend.

Does Kakashi even understand the concept of friendship? It’s a question that I’ve always kind of wondered, because really he doesn’t seem to have that stable a grasp on anything that has to do with relationships of any kind. He understands hero worship fairly well, but at the same time...

It’s awkward as I shuffle in place in front of Kakashi for a few moments before eventually making a considering noise in the back of my throat.

I then pick up one of the discarded wooden weapons and mime throwing it and then look at him with an almost hopeful expression.

It’s not exactly the best of attempts but Kakashi’s eyes crinkle up in amusement anyway. And, it’s a start really, as he corrects my grip and then my stance.

Since otherwise I apparently would have face-planted after even throwing the damn thing... Good to know if I ever need to toss and dodge simultaneously, but not so good when I need to keep my balance.

It’s peaceful and afterwards when we head back to the classroom, since apparently today they’re doing theory rather than taijutsu, he plops himself down beside me. It actually helps me focus on the lesson just that touch more really and, and it keeps me from stressing out about anything else that happens.

Such as being called upon. Which ends with me staring at the teacher with wide eyes and an expression that basically asks _what!?_ because I refuse to talk. Everyone knows that... So I blink rapidly and Kakashi glares from beside me...

Because apparently he’s an awkward little possessive dork who latches onto those who he begins to care for... That actually might explain a lot about his later pushing everyone away. Since I know that logic.

If you don’t let them in when they die... It’ll hurt less.

Which is completely wrong, because instead it hurts more. By the time they’re dead it comes crashing down and you realize, they were already in.

I did understand the question though... I just don’t get why the teacher called on me, so I tug at Kakashi’s sleeve and offer a placating look before I stare back at the teacher and make a sound that’s somewhere between discomfort and confusion.

They flush, which is fair enough before clearing their throat and calling on a different student instead.

And I snicker, because hell if I don’t draw some amusement from other’s discomfort. Hey, I’m only human after all.


	5. Academy Days: Hypersensitivity Pains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Chakra Hypersensitivity is actually a freaking problem... People who write Self-Inserts should remember that technically speaking it’s actually a disease/disorder where the body partially rejects it’s own chakra. So I’m considering it as something like Asthma, or Arthritis or any other disease where your own system turns on you. Since I deal with Chronic Pain in my actual real life though... It will likely have shades of that. A lot of shades of that. Also I guess that I lied in the first chapter... This is kind of me into Obito. 
> 
> Also just in case people haven’t noticed, my version of Obito in this is partially Autistic they don’t view the world in the same way as anybody else at all. They focus and obsess, stress over small things and have very, very specific comfort zones. Which will be expanded upon here, probably.
> 
> Also, I changed the title from Guilt Complex to By Any Other Name

The days stretch out into weeks. And the weeks into months, and surprisingly, Kakashi hasn’t graduated yet. He’s still here, and I don’t know whether to be thrilled or horrified by that, so I’m a mixture.

Then again, I can faintly recall kind of freaking out when they tried to place him into a higher class... One more suited for his skill level. So yeah, but the fact that he actually remained here and in my class afterwards says something about whatever this bond is. Prime Obito would be wriggling in glee I think...

Since one of the things that I always noticed, he always wanted to be Kakashi’s friend. Yet they never quite got there... Here and now, it’s difficult but Kakashi’s entire presence is calming. It’s a relief, especially when I begin to feel the itchy burn within me. Even though I’m mostly adjusted to the presence of chakra that doesn’t mean that I’m not still affected by it.

Some days I feel as though I can barely move. The very air choking me and clinging to my body, to my soul rather, screaming and rejecting me because I’m not supposed to be here. I have coughing fits sometimes and it hurts. I refuse to admit to these things though and push through, since I can still use my chakra.

It hurts a bit, but I’m used to pain. It was a constant in my previous life, right up to the point when I ‘died’ and now it’s going to be a constant in this life. It just means that I’ll have to work a little bit harder to be as good as those around me.

And then I wake one morning unable to do anything except whimper. It. Hurts. **So. MUCH**. I grit my teeth as tears burn their way out of my eyes and slide down my cheeks. It’s not just the feeling of my chakra that’s paining me either, but everything else. My blood is rushing, through my head, and I can hear my own heartbeat feel it as well. It just hurts, the throb and pulse of my blood is not smooth, it’s too fast, too fast. And, it hurts.

Eventually I gain a little bit more cohesion, enough to make noise louder than the small whimpers at least. And Okaasan’s right there, gently winding her fingers through my hair. And her chakra’s flaring, but it hurts and I choke coughing because I don’t understand.

I had adjusted to the chakra hadn’t I? So why is my entire body reacting to it as though it’s a virus or other horrible invasive force? My body’s trembling, shaking with the pain that my own system is causing. It’s so horribly familiar that it would be funny if it weren’t so painful. And my thoughts are fading away into the familiar sensation of too much.

Pain, buzzing, humming, throbbing, pulsing, rushing liquid and energy. A groan and whimper with a pained moan and a single finger that manages to twitch.

It reminds me of my first ever attack in my last life. A normal night up until I just couldn’t breathe, and then rushing to the hospital... And the doctors finding nothing wrong. Doctors, across any life are useless really.

There’s green and I scream before hissing at it because no. That hurts more, and then... _KAKASHI!_ Kakashi, my senses all snap to the excruciatingly familiar signature. I manage to wriggle a bit and blindly reach in the vague direction of the calming presence that my entire mind had quickly equated to safety, and clarity.

It still takes a while longer for the pain to fully leave and my system to stop whirling around in a confusing mess. I slowly open my eyes and move my head blinking up at the white roof and fluorescent lights that glow brightly into my eyes. That burns as well and I hiss eyes slamming themselves back shut as I weakly shift beneath white sheets and my arms attempt to shield me from them.

There’s deep laughter from beside me and I peer through half-lidded eyes to see familiar silver hair. Except that it’s not Kakashi, I blink and shift managing to at least face this stranger. Who, considering the resemblance to Kakashi would have to be his father I’m guessing. The chakra signature, it’s still calming and soothing, but now that I’m not caught in a haze of pain I can feel the differences.

This is more controlled, and tapered... More mature. I make a funny sound in the back of my throat before attempting to sit up. Bad Idea. Pain shoots through me once more and I almost scream. Instead what comes out is a strangled half-sob, half-scream. Kakashi’s father is also right there and he maneuvers to help me, moving the pillows so that they support me. It helps.

“You alright?” he asks and I slowly nod my head. Yeah, I’m alright... Although still rather perplexed by the entire situation because what even triggered such an attack. Is this what I’ll have to look forwards to in the future, constant fear of my own system breaking down and putting me through all encompassing pain. Kakashi’s father sighs and I raise my eyes back up from the sheets to stare at him. “So you’re the child Kakashi talks about. The one who never speaks.” he sounds amused and I blink.

“Yep that’s Obito!” Otousan! My head snaps to face the door where my father stands a sad smile on his face. I whine and almost reach for him but that hurts and instead my arms drop back to the sheets and I wince. Otousan is by the bed in a second, his face serious and his eyes filled with worry. “Our little trouble maker...” it’s quiet and I offer a strained, broken smile.

I don’t mean to cause trouble. I really don’t it just kind of happens. Across both of my lives thus far that’s held true. I also never mean to worry my parents, but due to my bad health it will always happen... Again this seems to be a constant across both lives.

Maybe this is the universe’s way of punishing me for stealing Obito’s life?

“Our always silent little boy.” I make a sound of argument at that. I’m not a boy, and sure I’m silent, but only when it comes to words. “Obito... Are you really okay?” Otousan is really quite and I frown my nose and brow furrowing. Because, it still hurts a bit, but that’s normal. Is back to the normal faintly itchy and irritating level. The dull sensation in the back of my mind, and the flow throughout the rest of my body.

So I make a noise that means that I’m fine. And that’s when I hear other footsteps. Lighter than an adults. And, accompanying them. Kakashi! And this time I’m sure that it’s him because his father’s already here. I make a noise and I shift trying to sit up just a bit straighter and to peer out into the hall.

Which is an impossibility considering where the bed I’m in is situated exactly, but still. Kakashi, another sound of excitement makes it’s way from my throat along with something that’s almost a word.

“Kaa...” although it can really still be taken as just a random sound. Although I do notice that Kakashi’s father’s eyes narrow a bit in my direction. Slowly a silver head of hair pokes it’s way into the door way and dark eyes trail across the room. From his father to my otousan and finally to me. “Kaa!” I think that I’ll allow myself to express that whenever I want to specifically call for Kakashi. It’s simple enough, doesn’t hurt as much as trying to actually speak proper words either.

Yeah, that’s the secondary reason that I don’t really practice speaking where anyone can hear me. It hurts, like there are hands on my throat and someone is slowly choking me. Or as if there’s something caught in my throat and I have to force the sound out around it.

“Obito!” Kakashi’s voice makes me smile and I manage to move one arm at least to wave to him and try to get him to come over. I want to grab him and pull him into a hug damnit... Which is not actually that new of a sensation, because the physical contact would be a comfort. “What happened? Sensei only told the class that you might be taken out of the Academy...” he sounds upset. Wait...

I make a sound of disbelief and discontent before I glare at my otousan. I want to be a shinobi damnit.

“Obito...” his voice is low, and it sounds harried. But I’m feeling a bit betrayed, just because I happened to have a bad day, he can’t take me out of the Academy. “Obito.” my fingers fist the sheets and my eyes sharpen.

“Tousan? What’s wrong with Obito?” Kakashi’s voice is so quiet and I turn to face him, my anger melting away to be replaced with cold and fear. Because, I don’t want to be an invalid, not like I was in my first life.

I want to be able to actually live for once. Being a civilian won’t give me much either, I could take that route, but in all honesty that scares me more than this one. Being a shinobi will give me the ability to at least defend myself from an attack... Even if it won’t help at all when it’s my own body that’s my enemy.

Chakra Hypersensitivity.

Most people tend to forget that it’s a disease. Sure, it allows you to be at least a decent sensor if only peripherally. But at the same time it means that your own system has other issues. Chakra hurts, especially foreign chakra, and at times on bad days even your own chakra will be too painful too handle.

I had a bad day. And now everyone’s worrying about me.

“Kaa...” I whine and wiggle before managing to slip out of the blankets. My otousan looks panicked as I slide off the bed and stand beside it. The floors cold and the hospital gown doesn’t help at all but I still slowly move to stand beside Kakashi’s father and reach for Kakashi.

Even if I have a major disadvantage here. There are some Clans, some people who’s chakra is neutral enough to not be painful, or at least not overly painful. And the Hatake chakra is calming. Soothing and it eases the pain. My hand rests against Kakashi’s arm and his eyes curve up into that odd eye smile that he’ll eventually perfect in the future.

“Chakra Hypersensitivity.” I raise my head to see that my Otousan has his head bowed. A single hand against his face as he shakes his head slowly. “Combined apparently, with normal Hypersensitivity.” Yeah, that’s not really something that I ever really thought about before.

Am I hypersensitive? Thinking about it, probably... Might explain why I can feel my very blood as it flows though my body anyway... Is that hypersensitivity? Possibly, but to me that’s normal... Which actually says something about me across both of my lives.

Namely that I’m not normal at all.

Which is obvious to anyone and everyone really. And something that I don’t really care about, because normal is subjective. A lot of things are subjective really, pain, fear, happiness and sadness. Different people express and experience such things differently. One of the biggest subjectives though would probably be love and just general affection really though. Because expressing such a connection is incredibly hard. And sometimes people view different things as love.

A hug, a kiss, laying blankets across someone’s shoulders, or resting your head against their side, listening to the beat of their hear, or simply being there. All of those can be a form of affection, yet all can be taken so differently depending on the circumstances.

“Kaa...” I whine and then look back at my otousan. There’s purpose in my eyes, a silent promise. My hand twitches a bit, griping Kakashi’s sleeve and he shifts just that touch closer to me.

I would be a shinobi.

I will protect my precious people, my family, my own life. Even with my disadvantage I would not let that hold me down.

I will not just sit back and watch the world destroy the things that have snuck in and decided to make me care about them damnit.

“Obito.” Hearing okaasan I slowly turn to face her my head held high and raised just enough in a stubborn expression that said clearly that I was not going to be denied. From beside me Sakumo chuckles and then I yelp as his hand comes down on my head and ruffles my hair. Disgruntled I whine and try to push it off while Kakashi, the unhelpful little brat snickers.

I will get vengeance, and it will be in glitter. And sparkles... And probably Twilight references but ahh whatever.

“You really are determined aren’t you...” her voice is soft and I peer up at my Okaasan. She seems almost resigned, yet at the same time. She’s smiling and it’s one of those smiles that practically emanates pride. “Just, be careful okay. Don’t push yourself too hard.” she kneels down and steals me from Kakashi’s father pulling me into a hug.

Instantly, automatically I place my head against her chest. Seeking the familiar beat of her heart. That sound which no matter how old, or young someone is, it will always feel of home and represent safety and comfort.

Even if at the same time it still stirs those old feelings of guilt. But they’re getting better. Even if I’m not Obito and my body still feels a bit wrong. The experience of pain reminds me that I’m still alive and that this is my life. A life that I stole, a life that I replaced, but the longer I’m here the more I’m able to slowly forget about that and accept my new place.

And, here and now. I know that no matter what the future brings. I’ll face it head on with determination and pride. Because nothing’s going to make me stop.

Not once I’ve decided to actually see it through.


	6. Academy Days: Spirals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here things are finally maybe beginning to lead to something... Although what I haven't got a clue. As I've said before, there's no plan for this. It's primarily me exploring concepts that interest me.
> 
> Chapter updates will also likely be slowing down from here on out, because it'll be getting more complicated.

Time passes. Most of my sixth year is spent training and practicing and finally realizing exactly why I'm still behind the other's when it comes to taijutsu training. Mainly because Kakashi pointed out to me that I wasn't enhancing my muscles with chakra the way that the other's were. Kakashi finds it amusing and I find it annoying.

Because practicing chakra enhancement hurts... I prefer to simply continue on the way I am. With my body itself doing all the work.Something about the better my base stat is the better I'll be when I finally do add to it. Except that it takes ages to even become average in the class. I have to work my freaking butt off, at least it means that I'm sleeping. The confusing dreams are less common when I'm sleeping due to exhaustion it seems.

Kakashi gives me oddball looks whenever I manage to explain that concept to him though. And then he tries to copy me, which is well, definitely not something that I'm expecting. Yet I guess that he understands the concept in whatever way I explained it to him. Little copy-cat already even without the sharingan.

My seventh year is pretty much the same as my sixth. Except that my parents attempt to teach me some ninjutsu. Which is well... I can't use Katon. At all really. I somehow manage to turn the Katon: Gokakyu into a freaking Suiton: Gokitama... Which is probably the wrong name, but that's what I call it when a giant ball of water forms instead of the expected flames. And then I collapse in a fit of laughter because how did I go from learning a katon technique to throwing out a suiton one?

It's strange, but I can actually almost explain this in my head. Because when I poke at my chakra and then leak it(for lack of a better description) into the world around. I feel it most strongly in the ground and the water. In nature itself, fire a little less so, because fire seems to be at war with lightning within me. I've got both, but they're so weak.

I get the feeling that this has something to do with souls and how they interact with chakra. But anyway, I'm seventy percent sure that I have managed to completely screw over the system. I believe that I have a duel Doton/Suiton nature, which is well... Different for an Uchiha I would guess. But that just leads me to amusement. Since I'm even more sure that I'm not entirely Uchiha, okaasan is just too different.

Although, I am kind of annoyed by the sheer difficulty I have at even reaching minutely for the katon flames that I can convert my chakra to. Converting my chakra to water or earth is easy. And then I try fire, it flickers and then kind of goes poof. Or sparks and just twists into that other energy that always seems to be warring with it. Lightning, which I'm guessing has something to do with my previous life.

But yeah, so most of my seventh year is mostly routine. With added ninjutsu training, although mostly it's theory with only small practice sessions. Most of which I screw up since my chakra more easily converts to natures other than Katon.

At the age of eight, I stumble right into fuinjutsu... Which comes right before I actually remember that Oh yeah, words having power is an actual thing here.

Most of what I do in my spare time even in this life, when I'm not training or spending time simply being with my parents is writing. Stories or even just random words into patterns that interest me, it's one of the main things that fills up my spare time. And with so many different kanji and characters for me to use I enjoy twisting them around into pretty patterns and symbols on the paper that I'm given using my brush.

It's cathartic, and on the worse days when my Hypersensitivity decides to limit what I can do, it's soothing.

So is it any wonder that I accidentally made a whole bunch of seals. I mean most of them aren't really active seals, but at the same time. They do have thought put into them, the words that spiral together into patterns and shapes tell me stories or give me messages and I understand them.

My parents and Clan mates not so much. So Okaasan comes in just as I'm finishing off another spiraling pattern and blanches. I blink in confusion, right up until the moment when she picks me up and flees the house.

Just in time for it to go up in a fiery explosion... I just destroyed half the house in one go, by accident. And that's also the moment that I recall exactly how much that old statement  _the pen is mightier than the sword_  actually kind of holds true here. I blink and look up at her in question though, because nobody's really said anything about fuinjutsu to us kids in class yet.

So if I had been the actual Obito, well this would have been done with a lot more theatrics and confusion.

Also still, half the house is gone.

"Ehihe?" I make the sound in confusion and squirm a bit in my Okaasan's grip trying to get down. I kind of want to look at the still burning parts of the building. And see if any of my ink and paper supplies actually survived. Along with my bed... And my new plushy.

I mourn the plushy. Kakashi had given it to me for my eighth birthday, all awkward and blushing and just plain adorable... And now in a single moment it's been destroyed.

That's the scene that Otousan walks into. A burning house, Okaasan holding me and me with this little frowny-face of confusion. He registers the house first and weapons are drawn and out before I can really blink. Otousan is on guard his body language screams that as he looks around for culprits, which makes me smile and laugh before pointing at the house in confusion and spreading my arms out after a clap.

"What happened?" his question is short and sharp, almost biting in the air and I hum watching the last of the flames slowly fade away even as more of our relatives finally show up to investigate. Fugaku-Shukafu is even carrying some police tape. Which is amusing in another way because sometimes I tend to forget that yeah, the Uchiha are the Military Police.

"Obito's apparently been doing fuinjutsu behind our backs..." Okaasan sounds tired and I look up at her in confusion. Making a confused sound to go along with it.

Fugaku frowns as he comes over. He's still rather new to the position as Clan head after all. Only just barely twenty-five. It must weigh on him a lot, especially with the elders as they are, massive jerks and complainers. Politics, I'm glad that I never really had to deal with that bullshit in my first life. Yet at the same time I kind of mourn that I didn't because now what? I'm an Uchiha which means politics are going to affect me sooner or later.

"Exactly what happened here?" Fugaku even sounds harried, as we're slowly lead away. Once more okaasan explains that I'd apparently been doing fuinjutsu behind everyone's back... Well more under everyone's noses but still. "Does he even know what fuinjutsu is?" now he just sounds bewildered and I tilt my head.

The picture of confused innocence, even if really I'm not. Although still, I am kind of confused by the house blowing up, but that's only because  _holy-shit_  I blew up the house. Also, that definitely wasn't the intent that I had while playing around drawing the pretty patterns.

As far as I had cared up until this point, that's all that I had been doing. Drawing pretty symbols, occasionally inserting an english word or phrase here and there for when I couldn't quite explain things clearly using the characters that I knew.

Both Okaasan and Otousan trade glances over my head and then they look at me. I blink and look between them and then up at Fugaku. Unsure of what they're expecting I make a choked noise in confusion. Before dissolving into coughing which makes them instantly stop and okaasan kneels down rubbing circles on my back.

"Ueroo?" I blink because now what's going on. Fugaku sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. For all that the clan seems stoic to outsiders I've got an inside view. Stoicism is definitely not the default setting within the compound. If anything the default setting is frustration, and rushing around trying to pretend that we're organized.

The police station is kind of understaffed really. So within the compound people are often rushing around trying to catch up, maybe talking about cases that are still relevant, or talk about a possible future in the Military Police. Which doesn't give many benefits at all...

Is it any wonder that they wanted to plan a coup, because nobody wants to be an officer when the price is steeper than the reward.

"Just..." Fugaku gives off an aggrieved sigh before he turns and there's Mikoto-hakubo who looks kind of amused. "Mikoto... Can you..?" he trails off and Mikoto grins before ruffling my hair and shaking her head at my otousan.

"Really Aniki?" she sounds incredibly amused and I look up at her with wide eyes. Especially as Otousan shuffles uncomfortably. She's good at putting him on the spot. "You're not staying at our house." she says rolling her eyes and I know the reason even as my face lights up and I tug on Otousan's sleeve.

"Kaa?" I look so hopeful in the reflection in his eyes. They soften the worry fading from them and he ruffles my hair. "Kaa?" I look over at okaasan who sighs but nods her head amusement in her eyes.

"I'll go talk to Kushina then..." that name's familiar. I blink and look up at Mikoto-hakubo as she smiles before disappearing. That's when otousan lifts me up and onto his back and I laugh. He shakes his head.

"Yeah. Let's go see how they're doing then."

* * *

We must be such a sight standing there out in front of the Hatake Clan compound. Since Sakumo just kind of stares at us as we stand there. And Kakashi peers around his face completely blank, also, he's got his mask by this point. Which the first time I saw it beneath his scarf had me freaking out in a different way. I would have called my reaction typical fangirl really. Even though I'm not a girl in any sense of the word, or in any world either.

I'm not a boy either despite the fact that people keep assuming that I'm one here and now. Except Kakashi really, who doesn't seem to really think anything of gender by default. It's actually kind of a relief really.

Anyway, so they stare at us, and I don't really listen as my parents explain the situation to Sakumo... Although, recently I noticed that he seems wearier. More tired than usual and the villagers are a bunch of idiots ostracizing him...

The entire situation seems familiar, but for the life of me I can't remember why.

"You blew up your house?" the question is so deadpan coming from Kakashi and I hum crossing my arms over my chest and shrugging. Because really, it's not like I done it on purpose. And I can see the amusement in Kakashi's eyes, because it really is amusing.

I blew up our house, by accident. I grin at him and then we're interrupted by a blur of red and... That chakra signature is terrifying.

It's so big, and overwhelming and bright and before I entirely register moving I'm behind Kakashi and staring at the latest interloper. The main thing that really strikes me about them is their long red hair... It's kind of pretty. My black hair doesn't really do pretty it does spiky and makes me look something like a hedgehog but eh... I can do cute, but not really pretty.

I blink and suddenly my eyes are meeting violet ones set into a round face. Kakashi's moved as well and I kind of shrink back.

The chakra signature of the person directly in front of me is massive, and bright sparking randomly with their emotions. And yet, there's something more that I can feel beneath their own signature. It feels like hurt and anger and misery.

All emotions that I'm rather familiar with when it comes to being powerless and unable to do anything at all.

"Ng?" I blink and tilt my head, hoping that my smile doesn't look too strained because all I really want to do right at this moment is run, run, get away because that chakra signature makes me nervous and I've finally matched a name to the face in front of me.

Uzumaki Kushina.

Minato's girlfriend, and more importantly the current Jinchuriki of Kurama. Otherwise known as the jailer of the Kyubi no Kitsune. The strongest of the current known Biju. Is it any wonder that her chakra terrifies me, and I back away and into the Hatake Clan home as quickly as I can without being considered rude.

Then I bolt.

I don't really know where I'm heading I just know that I need to have a place where I can breakdown without people panicking.

Kushina... Kushina-nee as Obito ended up calling her in the main timeline. And she's a pretty big part of the plot if you consider that without her Naruto wouldn't even be born. But right now I'm on the verge of breaking because no... No, she was at one point important to the real Obito. If she begins to care for me it'll be a lie.

Lie, lie, lie.

And I can barely handle the people who are considered safe, my comfort zone is not quite that large. Not yet anyway.

Kakashi, Otousan, Okaasan and Sakumo are currently the few people I don't really freak out about receiving that much attention from. Mikoto-hakubo is slowly getting there along with Fugaku-shukufu. But this...

I can't, I can't handle her.

Especially not with that chakra bearing down on me, it hurts and overwhelms me. I eventually stop running and curl up into a ball knees drawn up to shield me with my arms looped around them. I'm shaking, tears slowly trailing down my cheeks as I tremble...

It's Kakashi who finds me first and he only sits beside me...

It's a gesture that I can appreciate. He understands the need for space better than most really. At the same time, he also understands my need to have a familiar presence there. It helps. Especially as I can feel everyone else as they approach and slowly I lift my head to peer at them, my bangs just barely shielding my eyes from view.

I think that I know why Kushina's here. She's an Uzumaki, they specialize in Fuinjutsu after all... But at the same time, that intimidates me.

I'll try my hardest though.

I just need to adjust to her presence.


	7. Academy Days: Red, Yellow, Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don’t have anything really to say about this. Except that time marches on and here’s some interaction between Obito and Kushina. Not so much Kakashi though, but I will begin to highlight the relationship that Obito has with their parents as well.

So, how do I explain Kushina. She bright and overwhelming for the most part, and I can definitely see where Naruto got most of his personality from. After my initial reaction to her she’s calmed down a bit, less enthusiastic... By a small margin anyway. It’s just, I don’t know how to deal with her. She’s so eager to try and help me, mainly with safety rules which is kind of a shock, because I always kind of defaulted the Uzumaki to mad-scientists with their fuinjutsu.

Except they’re not. Or at least Kushina isn’t, because there’s all these rules that she keeps driving into my head when it comes to fuinjutsu. Most of the rules have to do with wording and patterns and _intent_. It’s so weird to consider intent as something that’s actually a valid thing that you can feel, or see, or use.

Killing Intent for example, among others. Calming intent is also fairly familiar to me. If only because it’s something that my parents tend to use to keep me from freaking out too much.

It’s just, here and now. Half of my time spent with Kushina is mostly me trying desperately to keep my emotions from defaulting to _this is bad... Wrong, wrong, liar!_ About the entire situation. And the other half is trying to keep from panicking simply because of her chakra.

Or at least that’s how it is when I’m unable to focus on the words and the brush and well... Calligraphy is simply writing really. And I enjoy it. Which might get me a few weird looks, but it’s the simple truth.

"Focus ‘ttebane!" I blink when I recall suddenly that yes Kushina’s still right here. And she’s still my tutor, despite my initial reaction... I wasn’t there for the talk between my parents and her, but she’s still here so it must have been interesting. "Drawing seals without intent generally leads to disaster ‘ttebane!" I already know that, but keeping focus is the big issue here.

It’s also one of the biggest rules when it comes to fuinjutsu. Not only is it dangerous to draw seals half-assed or without intent and focus it can lead to them being less effective. The more focus and intent that you give a seal the better it’ll work. Which is pretty interesting despite everything else.

Fuinjutsu in general is interesting. Using words and symbols to do things that you can’t quite achieve when using ninjutsu or genjutsu, or even taijutsu. Healing seals also tend to hurt a little less, as the hospital was rather relieved to discover the first time I accidentally blew myself up under Kushina’s watch. Of course, there’s also the simple fact that fuinjutsu is terrifying. I’m able to remember the mask temple and the way the shinigami was bound to a mask.

Fuinjutsu manipulates the world to such a level that it’s only limited by a person’s creativity really. Their thought patterns and the way that they describe things. Considering that, is it any wonder that nobody usually teaches children anything about fuinjutsu until they at least understand some of the basic rules of the world.

Otherwise I’m sure, things would be much, much more confusing. The Uzumaki Clan is, _was_ bad enough really. Their way of thinking is certainly unique.

"Obito!" I wince and look up at Kushina my eyes wide and then down at the paper in front of me... Oh, oops. I offer a sheepish grin as she sighs and shakes her head. Instead of writing the practice lines that she’d told me to... I had written something completely different, two separate space-time kanji, along with the english word for vision, I even managed to twist in a runic symbol... Which is well. "Focus! ‘ttbane. Let’s try this again! ‘ttbane"

Yeah, so most of it’s routine. At least Kushina’s there and watching me, which has thus far headed off some of the worse outcomes. A fair amount of my originally inked seals apparently survived the explosion back at the house anyway.

That had been part of the reason that her chakra had been so wild and untamed upon our first meeting. Of course there’s still Kurama.

But anyway, the seals that had survived had apparently terrified Kushina with the possibilities that they held. Which as soon as I became comfortable enough with her presence she told me sparing none of my feelings. In Uzushiogakure I would have been considered one of those prodigies in sealing who’s mind is always racing ahead through numerous possibilities. One of those one who would revolutionize the art. Personally as far as I care about that, anyone who’s a decent Author back in my home world would be such a fuinjutsu practitioner.

Since Authors think in such abstract ways... Not that I’m really one to consider that since my own train of thought can jump from subject to subject so abruptly that it’s almost scary. I could be considering rape statistics in one moment and then suddenly be musing on why the sky is blue or whether or not the characters in one of my favourite storybooks actually made the right choice when it came to killing the traitor. Among other random jumps, or trails of thought that wind their way in.

Such as killer animatronics beside that bunny from Monty Python. I wonder what Okaasan’s going to make for dinner?

I yelp when Kushina’s hand comes down onto my head and begin flailing when I notice that my brush and inkpot are missing. And then I see the sheet of paper in front of me... I blink because what? It’s not so much a swirl as it is a bolt of words. No real pattern unless you’re looking closely, with four names on the corners and then the kanji for character in the middle, lines that lead out under the names.

All things considered the nearest thing that I can compare it to is a demon summoning circle. Or square really. Except that there is a faint circle around the center part, and well. Recognizing the names I pale. Because well, the Five Night’s at Freddy’s animatronics just appearing would’ve been really weird. And frightening and well... I really, really need to improve my focusing skills don’t I. At least this one didn’t have any mention of Death and it’s master, or that one that I had slipped under my pillow that mentioned Nightmares and protection...

Referencing Dreamkeepers not literal dreams really. Although it might have been a mix, since that limited the worse dreams as well.

So I look up at Kushina, embarrassment emanating from my frame, echoed with just a touch of horror. Because which of the animatronics would it have even summoned? And which iteration? The first? Second? Nightmare versions? I might try and test that out later on... With someone there to watch and rescue me if it goes badly... So I push that off to the side, or rather into my pack much to Kushina’s exasperation and amusement.

Then it’s back to the lines. Which, wouldn’t be so bad, except that they’re all boring. Either listing off the primary rules of fuinjutsu, or safety measures.

_Remember to focus as much of your attention on the seal that you’re inking. Intent is key._

_Remember to take breaks every once in a while when working on a large scale seal._

_Seals and Fuinjutsu focused on summoning demons need to have every word double and then triple or quadruple checked before use in case the need to sell your soul arises._

_Think outside the box, not within it._

Routine ones, really. There’s nothing on touch based sealing though, or pure intent sealing. Which is still new enough that people are sort of just getting used to it. Minato is an inspiration, and an annoyance in that way. His Hiraishin marks get everywhere, he doesn’t seem to really show that much restraint when it comes to placing them around. At least not in Konoha anyway. I’ve repeatedly stumbled upon them, there’s one at Ichiraku’s Ramen. Which I spotted the time that Kushina dragged me there.

Eventually I do manage to make it through the lines and then I flick the brush at Kushina, who’s sitting there and grinning at me. It’s disconcerting more than anything else. Because she’s literally banging down on my defences in mind and soul really. I’m pretty sure despite my reservations, she’s already rooted in place in my heart.

"All done ‘ttebane! Hungry?" I blink when my stomach growls and she laughs picking me up with a bright shining grin. "Ichiraku’s it is then!" I laugh even as my own chakra jolts a little bit. Her presence is never going to not be at least partially overwhelming. It’s just her presence bright and fiery, blazing and practically screaming at me, that she’s there.

We move pretty quickly through the village from the training ground where she had me drawing seals. And people barely give us a glance really, it’s the weekend. Kushina gets me almost exclusively on weekends. Except when my parents tag along, or Kakashi insists on joining in even if he’s not really that good at Fuinjutsu. His thought patterns are too straightforward really.

That’s not to say that he can’t do fuinjutsu. Explosive tags and Storage seals are easy enough after all, and everyone pretty much makes their own. Since you can’t be entirely sure that you’re going to be getting decent ones if you’re getting them from someone else, and also, you’ll never get quite as good results from using someone else’s seals as if you use your own. Everyone even civilians know at least basic sealing in that context.

Most people don’t really think of much beyond that though.

Reaching Ichiraku’s we both sit down and Kushina quickly hollers for Teuchi ordering for the both of us. Since I still don’t have the whole communication thing down really. Although, we’re working on that. There is such a thing as sign language after all, among other alternatives that I’ve thought of. Including a test with ninshu that I’ve been considering. Since telepathy could potentially be a thing...

But still, the idea of mixing chakra still seems really, really intimate.

The ramen arrives and I sniff the air appreciatively. It’s actually not that bad, noodles more or less although I kind of wish I could ask them to put in a few extra things sometimes. Because while it’s nice, I have preferences. We break our chopsticks and "Itadakimasu." Kushina says it for the both of us, because it really does hurt to try and talk. And besides she’s loud enough for us both.

I grin brightly as I begin to eat. It’s different, but I actually do enjoy being here. At least when I’m not busy completely freaking out over the whole issue that I still have with not quite belonging. But, I’m getting better with that. The wind tosses my hair and I smile, it’s peaceful really. Right up until I start coughing, startled by a sudden burst of Chakra right beside me.

_Yellow Chakra..._

Over my head Kushina hollers at the future Yellow Flash as I try desperately to regain my bearings. And not bolt as fast as I can away from the Ramen shop as I almost did the first time Kushina ever dragged me here. Namikaze Minato is right here, and apologizing rather pitifully for startling me.

Which he did. Except that’s not why I’m still coughing. His chakra is just as striking as Kushina’s, just for a completely different reason. It’s so focused and sharp, and is it any wonder that he becomes a force to be reckoned with in the future? I struggle to catch my breath, and it takes a few moments but eventually I do manage it.

To see Minato hiding behind a chair as Teuchi brandishes a fry-pan at him. And Kushina doesn’t look that happy either... Huh? I must have missed something, because what? I blink confusion clear on my face, because this is, not exactly any kind of scene that I’m familiar with. It’s like something off the TV. Either world’s TV really. Civilians seem to remain somewhat consistent in their creativity across both worlds.

It’s a shock though, to see him here. I mean, yeah sure I was expecting to meet him at some point since Kushina is his girlfriend... Future girlfriend anyway. I’m not entirely sure whether or not they’re together yet. Still, the scene in front of me is strange. I’m not sure whether I should interrupt it or not. I tilt my head before deciding to interrupt. I tug lightly on Kushina’s sleeve. Letting her know that I’m fine.

If a little bewildered.

Since, it seems as though they’re all less reacting to the effect that his appearance had on me, and more to the way that he appeared. Which considering it, yeah that would be incredibly annoying. And he’d get lazy, but then again. I suppose that he may possibly be doing it as practice. Who knows.

I peer over at the blond though eyes wide, because really, how else am I supposed to react to the future Yellow Flash. This is Naruto’s _father._ And potentially my future sensei...

Am I allowed to panic? Probably not, but it’s still overwhelming again. Why am I right in the center of this? Oh that’s easy to answer, because I’m _Obito._ Except that I’m not, and my comfort zone is being pushed. Which actually isn’t anything that I’m unfamiliar with, because the more that I go out, and grow up. The more that I run into other people from canon. Gai, Asuma, Kurenai... Ebisu once.

I’m beginning to tremble and I close my eyes taking several deep breaths. When I open them again I can see the worry on Kushina’s face the wary, am I about to have an attack kind of questioning look. It’s annoying really, because I’m not _that bad_... Am I? I mean yeah when I was younger as sort of just beginning to see the rest of the world I typically would have breakdowns, or hide behind the few people who I’d let in. But, I’m not that bad am I?

My hands are shaking, my whole body really is shaking, and I kind of want to say to Minato that he’s not a good father... Because seriously, sealing a giant fox into a newborn and then dying. Except that hasn’t happened yet and it will just make him stare with a WTF look. Also it would probably send me into hysterics, with tears and pain. Yeah no.

I’m just going to sit here silently breaking down while Kushina hovers worrying over me.

"MINATO YOU BROKE HIM!" Okay what? I lift my head at that because really Kushina? Really?

Okay, maybe he broke me a little bit. But really. I’ve been broken for a while. Shattered pieces of an old reality that blend together with this new one. Leaving me lost and not quite whole. I mean seriously, across both of my lives I’ve never been healthy. Never had a good run.

In my previous one, I was aware of my differences. In the way that anyone who had to constantly deal with them would have been. Pain in the chest, pain in the back, my ear’s ringing for no reason and it feels like something just exploded within it. Stomach problems and never being able to properly relieve myself when going to the bathroom. I may have ended up with something of an eating disorder near the end there as well although I can’t be certain since I was eating, once a day maybe? Also mental issues, except they were more with my emotions beginning to shut off and I was possibly becoming a touch suicidal with no longer caring about anything at all.

And then there’s this life. My relationship with my parents is the most stable, and that’s mainly because I’m able to appreciate that they try. I’m hypersensitive to my own chakra, my blood and my body still feels faintly wrong _(Because it’s not my body, it’s Obito’s.)_ I kind of rely on Kakashi as a balancing point and continually have mini-breakdowns whenever I meet someone new, or someone who’s actually relevant to the plot. Also, issues with talking because it hurts, legitimately hurts to the point where I barely even talk alone where no one can hear me anymore. Also, I’m possibly Autistic, although I can’t be sure on that one.

But Minato didn’t break me, so I snort. I may be broken. But it’s not because of anyone’s sudden appearance. Or their presence, or anything.

Because I already know I’m broken. Broken in body, broken in mind... _Broken in soul..._

So yeah. I slowly stand from the table, smile although I don’t think that it’s quite real. Nod my thanks to Teuchi and then I walk away.

I’m going to go find Kakashi... So that I can balance myself again, and maybe breakdown without anyone asking questions.

Kakashi’s good at that. He doesn’t pry, he understands.

Even when I’m unable to express anything.


	8. Academy Days: Graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, Graduation day is here. Only took until Thursday.

I. Hate. TESTS! Plain and simple.

Any kind of test they're all annoying. I glare at the sheet of paper in front of me, it's personally affronted me I swear. I hate tests... I end up slamming my head down on the table, which causes a lot less attention than you would think. But seriously, we're going to be shinobi, not paper pushers so I don't get these tests. Half the information isn't even relevant anyway, seriously who needs to know the exact distance that you can hurtle a kunai on a 25° angle?

Or the pressure of this, or that... It makes my head hurt really. You don't really think about any of this stuff in the middle of a battle anyway, because you're too busy making sure that you actually survive.

History, and political states, and little bits and pieces on the other countries. Which most of us went home and forgot about entirely. Or at least I did, because what does it even matter unless you're planning on specializing in diplomatics or infiltration? Which yeah, most of us aren't really likely to be thinking that far ahead. Not to mention with the war that's broken outside the walls of Konoha, it's not likely that many of us are even going to make it that far.

Only with pure luck most likely. And even luck has to run out sometime.

Eventually I do finish the test, but I'm one of the last ones to finish. Unlike Kakashi, who probably glanced at it and knew the answers. After the paper tests we're taken out to do the physical tests. Which, are much different than the simple bunshin test that Naruto had to take in the series. There's an obstacle course, along with a test on kunai and shuriken throwing. A spar against one of the teachers, and finally a small ninjutsu portion of the test.

In all, it's rather exhausting. And when it's over I kind of flop over in the grass and close my eyes. Kakashi, is not actually all that much better. Considering that we both decided to take the physical portion without using the chakra enhancing skill in our repertoire. Kakashi because he likes the challenge that it gives him, and me, well I want to keep some skill under wraps. Since without the chakra enhancement I seem much slower and weaker than I actually am.

Or well, than I am when using it anyway. Which still doesn't happen very often because it hurts. It's not a pain that I can't ignore, more like the vaguely familiar faint ache that's always there that I had in my previous life. I'm readjusting to it once more, after all it's just a faint and constant ache. Like the pain of losing someone and still expecting them to be there.

Like waking up and expecting to see carpet and plain beige walls. A lamp on a beside table with a plain desk beyond, a bookshelf at the foot of a bed covered with a doona that has dolphins on the cover. Expecting blinds and a window that overlooks you.

Emotional pain is worse than any physical pain.

I feel a poke in my cheek and my eyes open back up to narrow into a glare at Kakashi. He's recovering much quicker than me, and it's annoying. He smiles, I can feel it even as I groan and roll over one hand flopping in Kakashi's vague direction. At least until I pull myself back up and force myself to stand.

"Kaa!" I grumble, but it's not really annoyed as much as it's relieved. Kakashi snickers and I smile. We turn one last time to stare at the Academy before we both pull out our new Hitai-ates. I'm planning on only putting it on in front of both Okaasan, Otousan and Sakumo-san though. And Kakashi is planning the same. We want to see their pride, see our parent's pride.

I especially want to know that I've achieved something. That they don't need to worry about me so much. That I'm now a shinobi and I can protect myself.

For the most part at least. And if all else fails, I highly doubt that they'll put me on a team without Kakashi. It just wouldn't make sense really. We're already practically a team anyway. Although, I do wonder who might be our third team mate. Considering that across the board I'm assuming that I'm pretty average, unless you're taking into account my extra training in Fuinjutsu. Which is well... I can at least draw most explosive tags and storage seals in record time. But it's not something that I can use in any sort of fighting situation yet.

My fist clenches around the hitai-ate and I trade a look with Kakashi. It's time to say good bye to the Academy, and hello to Shinobi life. And, I'm actually kind of looking forwards to it. As we both walk away from the Academy I can feel the future opening up before us. The wind tosses my hair and I smile. It's nice to feel so fulfilled in this moment.

I'm a shinobi. Despite everything else,  _I'm a shinobi!_  And I got here by my own efforts. With training assistance from Kakashi, my parent's support and... It feels good. I'm sure that if I were still the brat who had been reborn here I would be having more issues with the morality of shinobi life, but I'll admit, the indoctrination of this world is rather effective. Especially with the civilians being as they are.

Also, having shinobi parents tends to make the moral grey area that much stronger. I'll admit though that even in my previous life though, my morals were a bit sketchy.

As soon as we're far enough from the Academy I speed up much to Kakashi's agreement. If his own speed boost is any indication anyway. We're both eager to get back to the Hatake Clan compound. Where despite everything my parents and me are still living. I have my suspicions on that considering Sakumo's somewhat depression the year before. Things have been improving though, despite the war outside of the walls of Konohagakure.

As we finally reach the compound I land with a grin and Kakashi lands beside me. We both look up when our parents exit. Sakumo definitely looks brighter than he has previously. I grin and hold up my Hitai-ate proudly while beside me Kakashi holds his out before tying it around his forehead. I look down at mine before skipping over to Okaasan who smiles and kneels down. I hand her my hitai-ate before allowing her to tie it.

The cloth is a bit long and the ends hang down but that's fine. I done that on purpose and I grin before wrapping my arms around her in a hug. Otousan kneels down and joins in after a few seconds and then speaks.

"Well done Obito!" I grin and snuggle just a bit more. Off to the side Sakumo is clearly proud of Kakashi as well. It's the moments like this that remind me that this life isn't the worst that it could be. "You're going to have to let Kushina know as well." he sounds amused and I kind of freeze. Oh boy Kushina's going to drag me off for Ramen as soon as I let her know that I passed my Genin test.

I just know it.

* * *

That night I have my first nightmare in a while. Confusing images of potential futures, Kakashi missing an eye replaced with a sharingan. The original Obito getting crushed by boulders, Madara... A spinning eye in the sky... But the worst is the feeling of something spreading itself over my body. I can't move...

My eyes fly open and I still can't move. Paralyzed on the bed with moonlight streaming in through the window. Curtains dancing in the light breeze and there in the darkened corner of the room.

Yellow eyes... Or rather golden with the way that they glint in the moonlight. I can't even whimper as the thing makes it's way out of the darkness. I want to scream, I want to run away.

" _ **You don't belong here!"**_  No, no I don't.  _How does it know that?_   _ **"You stole his place..."**_  there are tendrils of black sliding up my arm, towards my face.  _ **"Maybe I should destroy your life. See how you enjoy being helpless in the grip of another soul..."**_  I struggle desperately trying to twitch even a single finger as the black mass creeps further over my body. It feels so, so wrong, and I'm not entirely sure if I'm awake or asleep.  _ **"THIS IS THE PRICE THAT YOU PAY!"**_

I scream. And it's gone. It's over but I can't stop screaming, everything hurts. It feels wrong and there's still a presence of something in the room with me. Then, Kakashi's right there and he's trying desperately to calm me down, muttering reassurances over and over, and I can't hear them properly.

There's a roaring in my ears. And something else that's buzzing just beneath my skin, an itch that something is wrong.

_I'm not Obito..._

_I don't belong._

_LIe, LiE, liE, Thief..._

_Kuro was in my room..._

I'm shaking as Okaasan comes in and wraps me up in a hug. I even flinch lightly and it still all hurts, the air itself choking me a bit as I struggle to reorientate myself. I'm alive, I'm alive and that thing isn't actually here.

It was only a dream.

Except I can't stop the tears that trail down my cheeks. I can't prevent myself from shaking, from fearing that it will emerge from the shadows. That Kuro might know... Who knows what that thing knows. It's not normal, not natural, not good.

" _ **You don't belong..."**_  it's a whisper in my ear and I shiver clutching desperately at Okaasan's sleeping gown. My eyes screwing themselves shut as I can't forget the feeling of  _wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm not in control..._  The sheer helplessness and panic and fear that the dream has left me with.

Except... Was it a dream?

I can't be sure, and That's what terrifies me the most about the entire experience really, because I can't be sure. I can only hope that it was only a dream, a nightmare. I can only hope that it's not something worse, even as everything in me dreads that it might have been something worse.

I find myself curling up with Kakashi in his bed after I'm finally calmed down. My chakra still faintly buzzing beneath the skin. Kakashi's a comforting presence really, but it's not really enough to completely rid me of the fear and the dread. I'm calm, but still terrified.

Because, it's not Madara that I really have to fear in the future is it. It's Kuro, and Kaguya... But mostly Kuro, because who knows how much of the events in the original series, the events that happened at Kannabi. How much of that was possibly manipulated by Kuro because he saw an opportunity?

I shudder and snuggle just a little bit closer to Kakashi breathing in his familiar scent.

I won't fall for the same tricks though. I've got Okaasan and Otousan after all. Even if I also have other deeper issues.

" _ **You stole his place..."**_

I whimper into the darkness and tightly close my eyes, glad that Kakashi's right there.

* * *

The next morning is somewhat subdued. Mainly because I'm still shaking and wary from my nightmare the night before. It's probably a good thing that we've got something like a week before we learn about Team Placements then. Because I'm likely to have more nightmares in the following days. I stare blankly at the table even as a steaming bowl of miso soup is placed in front of me.

I don't touch it... I can't... I can't...  _I can't_. My eyes squeeze themselves shut and I begin to tremble. I know that I'm worrying everyone, but I can't help it. After last night. My head hurts, and my chakra feels itchy, and hot, and wrong. Yucky as if it's a virus again. My blood feels kind of sluggish and slow as well. My heartbeat in my chest is the only thing that feels and sounds normal.

I take a deep breath, my fingers digging themselves into the material of my trowsers. I do not belong here at all. The dream sequence, and waking nightmare of Kuro just drove that in more. I stole Obito's life, and even if I've adjusted. I haven't. I can feel tears burning behind tightly closed eyes, can feel wet trails that begin to slide down my cheeks and then drip down falling to the floor.

I feel wet drip onto my hands. And I feel Kakashi move beside me.

No one knows what to do. And I can't exactly explain anything to them. The problem there being the fact that I can't really talk at all.

Even if I could though, I don't know if I would.

This is where we break.

I sniff, shoulders hunching as my head bows. I open my eyes to see my hair falling around and framing my face. It hurts, and I'm so scared. Because, I don't want to be helpless. Yet, the thing that I'm the most helpless in the face of isn't any physical enemy. My own self is my worst enemy. My fingers clench and I whimper, feeling my Okaasan and Otousan make their way over to try and help as well.

I can hear Sakumo as he moves around.

I'm surrounded by people who care about me. Except no, they don't know that I'm here, it's  _Obito_  they care about. Obito, who never existed because I exist in his place. I sniff again, a choked sob making it's way from my throat.

It hurts. Something in my chest hurts and my head, and... It hurts.

I'm destroying myself and I don't know how to stop. I never asked for this, I never asked to be here. My throat hurts, choked with emotions, some of which I can't explain. My parents are both right there, and faintly, in the breeze I can almost feel another comforting presence.

One from my old life. One that I felt once before in this life. The curtains dance and I move a single hand up into the air reaching for something that's not even tangible.

My father, my old father. Finally the damn breaks and I breaks.

Tears don't stop very easily. And the pain is crushing all encompassing. Liar, Faker, Pretender, Phony, Facade. I'm not supposed to be here even now. It's been nine years. Nine years and I'm still not over this. I don't know if I'll ever be over this unless I can get my head checked, or a journal.

Because it's  _so hard._  I'm Obito now, except that I'm not and the differences between us are stark. Like day and night. He was bright with a load of potential, while my life is quickly going dark and my potential was quickly draining away. I was a civilian, invalid who could barely muster up the energy to live, he was a shinobi one of the protectors of his village and as healthy as anyone else. He was an orphan ostracized and rejected by his clan while I had a family that surrounded me and cared for me. He was a boy, I'm a freak who doesn't deal very well with the very concept of gender.

All of my issues are coming to a head. Receiving care from the people who should have gotten the chance to know him is getting weird again. Except, by the time Obito would've been old enough to get to know them, they were dead. So I clutch tightly at my parents, body shaking. Kakashi's at my back, awkwardly debating joining in, and Sakumo's somewhere off to the side.

I can't break. I need to be strong. I need to be able to claw my way to a brighter future of some kind. I need to trust them.  _I do trust them._ But, do I trust myself?

Will I be able to handle finding out who I'll be relying on as my team mates in the following days? I don't know... I just, don't know.


	9. Halcyon Youth: Team Minato?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let's meet this world's version of Team Minato, well sort of. Also, finally I introduce Rin into this story. Also, some family developments and actual spotlighting.

The week passes in a haze of nightmares and difficult nights. More often than not I find myself making my way to join Kakashi in his room. It helps, but only just barely because when I close my eyes I still see the glint of gold and darkness taking over my vision and body.

The lie that I am engulfing my very presence.

Kuro using that against me... Since I highly doubt that if I end up there my heart will be open enough to become the catalyst to my own downfall. Not when small things can still send me back into the spiraling thoughts that  _I'm not Obito! Not supposed to be here._  Not when that's still quite prominent in my mind.

It reminds me of when I had to wear a posture support brace. I would get used to it, or pretend to get used to it and then something would set me off and it would feel weird and uncomfortable and  _OH GOD I CAN'T WEAR THIS..._ Except in this case it's my body and my attachments to the people around me.

I can care for my parents... I can love them, but at the same time it makes me feel weird and selfish and wish that I had somehow ended up as Obito's twin or something. It's just awkward really, and then there's Kakashi. Who is my grounding point really. I rely on him to keep me focused and safe and...

And for some reason he's less of a trigger than I expected him to be.

It's likely due to his chakra, but it's still... Still not something that I'm entirely sure of. Everything about him though, instinctively I feel better around him. As if I don't have to worry and all the evil of the world can't touch me. Also there's the fact that I know, and I can see that this Kakashi is far different from the Prime version of Kakashi.

He's still got Sakumo-san after all.

Also of course there's me... And my parents. So there's that, but still. Still I have these moments. And the nightmares are not helping at all.

I open my eyes and blink dazedly up at the plain roof. It's still dark outside, and Kakashi's sleeping peacefully beside me in the bed. I can't sleep though, I mean I could try but it's not likely to be very effective. Not while my mind is spinning so much. As soon as it's light I'm going to be heading to the Academy for the last time with Kakashi... It's daunting really, because as soon as the sky lights up and the day stretches on our fates are going to be set into motion.

And... and I'm unsure how close to canon, or the Prime timeline they're even going to be. I watch the shadows, even in the faint light of the moon shining through the window I can see them dance. Stretch and twist, some into the features of people half-forgotten from my previous life... Others into monsters and dangers that I know exist in this life. Glinting gold eyes, figures with dancing steal blades and... And the biju rising up to roar and destroy those that call them monsters.

My imagination has always been active really and I close my eyes once more allowing the noise of the night to simply fill the air. Crickets, an owl, chirping in the night air and the creaking of branches in the wind... It's all that much more defined in the night. A frog croaking, if I simply breathe I can hear some of the Inuzuka dogs barking and the sound of something being dragged... Less fun sounds.

My eyes snap back open and I stare up and into the darkness. I know I'm facing the roof, I know it because there's a certain feel that lying that way gives. Besides, I can't not sleep on my back, sleeping on my side or belly feels too  _strangewrongweird_  but back is fine. Back is safe. It's familiar.

I can't see the roof, not really but knowing it's there also makes me feel safer. Also, considering that I sleep on my back when I wake up I'm always looking up. Since you know, one of the biggest things the people forget even here is to remember to look up. Thank the Kami that I once tried(and failed) to play horror games. So I remember quite often to look up... Below, well I'm working on it.

I lie the for a few moments listening to Kakashi's even breathing before I get a bit anxious. The room is too closed in... Kakashi's too close... And,  _outoutout..._  I scramble a bit before slipping from the futon and landing rather quietly on the tatami floor. After a quick glance to be sure that Kakashi's still asleep I leave the room and make my way out into the yard. The building is completely silent as I roam the halls eventually sliding open the door to the closed in yard. Even in the dark it's calming.

Familiar. I smile faintly into the night and stare at the moonlit yard. There isn't a koi pond or bridge but there is a rock garden and tree to rest under. I'm actually not sure what kind of tree it is really. Of course that's not really why I'm here, not why I'm out in the yard. In fact I'm not really entirely clear on the why, but... It's peaceful out here with the night wind gently blowing and rustling the leaves of the visible trees over the garden wall.

My eyes close and I raise my head taking a deep breath in. The cold air stings, and the sensation tingles faintly. I exhale and open my eyes back up before wandering down the small garden path and eventually resting beneath the tree. My head settles against the trunk and I close my eyes taking deep even breaths. Being out in the yard reminds me of quiet nights in my original world. Reminds me of the times when the home was empty and I was all alone. Of the times when I would awaken at night and be compelled to wander out into the yard and simply stare up at the sky.

Dangerous maybe, but... But it was always peaceful. Peaceful, quiet and... Kind of enlightening. Staring up at the night sky always made me feel so small, so insignificant in the magnificence of the rest of the universe. All those glittering stars. Even here in the yard beneath this tree, wind dancing through my hair and across my skin. Watching the night sky and simply allowing myself to fade into the background is humbling.

I yawn a bit and snuggle some more into the cotton jinbei that clothe me. It's cool, but not uncomfortable, and in this moment I can practically feel the nature that surrounds me. The plants protecting and shielding me, any of the animals that may have wandered into the yard simply doing their own activities, and then me... Resting beneath the branches of the tree and slowly drifting off. I feel safe, perfectly at ease, and everyone else is in the building, barely a stone's throw away. Practically nothing for a shinobi.

I yawn once more before settling a little bit more into the hollow beneath the tree. Energy thrumming peacefully through the bark, and plants and... And I'm gone.

The next thing that I'm awakening to is Kakashi shaking me back into awareness. I yawn and bleerily look around the yard with only a vague feeling for what I really done the previous night... I never really remember what I do when I go outside during the night. It should probably worry me more but I'm perfectly fine and safe and, Kakashi's right in my face.

I scowl at him before pushing him away and standing up arching my back and stretching out somewhat like a cat with my hands stretching up into the air. I sigh and shake a bit before looking at Kakashi expectantly. He looks way too excited really. And the response that he practically chirps to my question does nothing to help.

"Today's team assignments!" I rub at my left eye and he's gone back into the house. Typical really, I'm not really looking forwards to learning who my team mates are going to be really. I mean, I'm pretty certain that they won't be separating me and Kakashi, but that doesn't mean that I'm not worrying. If anything it makes me worry more...

I follow at a more sedate pace sliding the doors shut before eventually making my way down to the dining room. Sitting there is everyone, all of them smiling... All I want to ask though is why's Kushina here? I look at the Uzumaki questioningly and she laughs loud and bright and joyous.

"Looking forwards to team assignments 'ttebane?" she cheerfully waves and I blink looking over at her before kneeling by my Okaasan. Who feels incredibly happy, happier than she should be considering the day. I mean yeah both Okaasan and Otousan are proud of me becoming a shinobi but she feels more excited than proud today.

And... And there's something else in the feel of her chakra. Something that's subtly different than it usually is. I poke her trying to convey that confusion about her chakra and she smiles that secret smile that all mother's across the world seem to know. That smile that basically says that they've got news to tell and you're either going to be thrilled or you're going to panic and worry about the impending doom coming down on you...

I have a feeling that it's going to be a mixture of both for me. Anyway I grab a final Onigiri before we leave for the Academy for the final time. Again, really Kakashi seems way too eager for this. I'm more nervous and it's understandable.

Nightmares, Visions of possible futures(some of which I'm sure were just vivid conjurings of random fanfic that I had read in my previous life), and then... Memories best left forgotten.

I shake my head as we walk beneath the trees and towards the Academy. Really, I'm kind of relieved that this will be the last time we have to go there, unless either of us become a Chunin sensei or take up a genin team when we reach jonin. It's kind of strange to think of that though, because even now my thoughts for the future don't really go that far.

I've never really been that good at planning really, which makes it kind of hilarious in hindsight that I'm here and in this world and place. What do the gods possibly think that I'm going to do in the future?

Eventually Kakashi pokes me and I blink. We're out in front of the Academy building and all I can do is stare. This is the beginning as much as it is the end. End of my freedom, end of my helplessness, the end of my clinging to the past(hopefully), end of childhood as well because that's what being a shinobi is. What the hitai-ate wrapped around my forehead represents.

I take and deep breath and then exhale nodding seriously at Kakashi. This is it, this is where our whole lives will be set into place and the fates wheel will begin to lock down on our possible futures. It's daunting, so incredibly daunting. But I straighten my posture and square my shoulders as we walk through the halls and finally reach the room. Quickly we take our typical places and I don't dare to slouch, not today.

For some reason the sensei is late... It's worrying and I begin to twitch, because why are they late? Did something happen? Is something wrong, my panic just sort of builds and Kakashi can tell, I can feel his amusement. Except that it's not amusing, because what if... And then I calm down and feel like slamming my head on the desk. Because sensei is right above us, sitting in the roof. So my anxiety disappears to be replaced with a twitchy eye in annoyance. My fists clench a bit into the wood of the desk and my smile twitches into a fanged grin.

That stupid sensei, I am not in the mood for any silliness today, mainly because I am seriously on edge. Okaasan is going to be dropping life-changing news on my after we meet our new team, and... And I need to find out how much I need to panic over who my team mates are even going to be. That's about when our sensei simply drops from the ceiling and crashes into the ground...

It's new and that's all that I can really think about it since there's still a hole in the wall from the last time this sensei made a rather dramatic entrance. So really most of us barely react except maybe to lean over our seats a bit and give the man a cursorary glance to make sure that he's still alive. We just go back to waiting around after that and even I calm down, since well... It's not like I could really get revenge on this idiot.

At least not any better than the self-inflicted revenge that he tends to get on himself.

Seriously, if I actually tried to explain all the stupid and ridiculous things that this particular sensei manages to do to himself I would never get through even half the list before losing track of what I had already recalled. Or just get bored with explaining the point, even Kakashi lost track somewhere around the seventeenth time that the guy came into the academy covered in feathers and tar... And missing his shoes. And sometimes with Tora biting his head. He recovers quickly enough anyway and then begins to read out the teams.

I barely really hear the names, because there's a kind of icky feeling in the air that's distracting me. It's familiar, but at the same time not and I kind of look around absently. And it itches to my senses, ringing in my ears and kind of burning in my throat and nose. Basically an all around bad feeling, and I end up closing my eyes and running a palm against my forehead trying to return my focus to the teacher.

"Team Seven..." I blink, how much did I miss? "Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito," I grin brightly and relax minutely, now all we need to know is "and Nohara Rin..." right. I'm not sure how much my expression betrays but I feel as though everything has frozen. Because whoa, seems like the timeline is trying to keep some things consistent. Also, I've been avoiding her for the last four years specifically because of  _who_  she is. She's the one who was Prime-Obito's first and pretty much only friend.

The issue with that is that I still have clear issues with reconciling certain things in this life.  _Rin, Rin's a big issue._  Simply because she set off the whole Tobi thing... And, I don't hold that against her, but... But I'm still  _scaredunsureguilty_  and I just don't know how to deal with her.

We're let out and before Kakashi can grip me I'm gone. A quick move and I'm up a tree simply overlooking the academy grounds. I need a place to panic, because Rin is still a bit much for me. I can deal with Kakashi. I can deal with Kushina(mostly). I can deal with my parents and Sakumo-san...  _Rin,_ Rin not so much. Because she was always so important to the original Obito... To the one who would have _(should have)_  lived this life. To the small orphan boy who probably got so confused with his emotions that he only thought that the love was more than platonic...

I can't deal with her... I can't, I can't. I curl up on the branch and my hands come up to cover my ears. I feel like screaming, because four years at the academy and the entire time I've been avoiding her to the point of pretending that she doesn't even exist. Four years, because I don't know how to handle her. It'll be the biggest betrayal if I let her care for me, and... And I can't handle even the idea of being her team mate. I choke a bit on the air, chest hurting and the itch from earlier kind of spreading.

I want to vomit.

I need to vomit...

There's a roiling in my gut and a sharp pain kind of like being stabbed with a knife. A twist and... I need to calm down, but I can't and it's making me sick... I'm making myself sick in my panic. The yucky feeling makes me shiver and I clutch myself tighter kind of blankly staring and struggling to keep my breathing at least steady. I can feel that rise in the back of my throat at the same time as a pressure in my head. A pressure around my throat and tightness in the chest.

I'm such a bloody mess.

There's a pounding within my head, something shaking me to my very soul and, and I can't do anything because this is my reality. I can deal with some things, but others will always, always hit just that touch too hard.

"OBITO!" I blink but can't move, I can't move to respond to Kakashi. Too busy trying to calm the storm of pain and anxiety and... I really need to vomit. A hand shifts to my mouth and I cough a bit, before hacking. Nothing comes up and I'm not sure if that's good or not because I have it on record that dry heaving hurts more than actually vomiting... Across both of my lives that's simply a fact... "OBITO! What's wrong?" I peer bleerily at him trembling.

Why's it so hot?

My clothing is clinging and scratchy and... And it's too warm and hot and, I still feel like I need to vomit. Still feel that  _itchyyuckywrong_  feeling and a burning in the back of my throat along with the feeling of hands or rope maybe tightening around...

Kakashi's right there at my side and his hand... It's cool against my forehead and I hum and bit leaning slightly into the touch. He frowns behind that mask of him but I can't do anything more, the pain is slowly fading but that was... It wasn't exactly my best moment. It still isn't my best moment and as soon as I am able to relax enough I look out across the yard. Not that far away Rin is watching us both.

I almost panic again...  _Rin is watching..._ Rin is... An issue that I'm really going to have some difficulty getting over.

That's the point that we're called back into the classroom. I barely blink before simply retreating back into the room, there I proceed to hide beneath the desk. Not exactly the best hiding place but with Kakashi sitting in front of me it feels safer than being exposed to the rest of the world after my little breakdown. Also it feels safer than having to face Rin, the cause of the little breakdown.

Well, little as far as some breakdowns can go.

After all I'm not in the hospital... Okay I can do this... I can do this now all we need to do is await our sensei and...

"Team Seven!" I stare at the blond hair, the familiar yellow chakra that once surprised me in Ichiraku's Ramen that one time with Kushina. Namikaze Minato... The Yellow Flash.

This is not going to end well either...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That breakdown had to happen I'm afraid. Also yeah, Obito is dealing with a lot of issues here. I was planning on a bit more, but then the end there just sort of happened so I went with it. Also hey look a wild update approaches. Sorry about taking so long but I was attempting to work on a few of my other stories...
> 
> That didn't really go to well, but anyway yay. More of this thing. Also as always do shout at me where you get confused or where I make grammar mistakes and well... Inconsistencies. Also any speculation is very much welcome even if I won't give anything away.


	10. Halcyon Youth: Switch Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some stuff is happening. Well, kind of anyway. Also a bit of a bait and switch kind of moment at the start here. Also now everything is caught up and the posts will come as I complete the chapters...
> 
> Also, sorry about taking my time to actually post this, I was just catching up the version of the story, which I've finally been able to post.

My fists clench and I duck my head down just that bit lower. Minato...  _Minato is our Sensei_. Which means that the timeline is actually still rather similar to the Prime timeline. Rin. Minato. I stuff a fist into my mouth toddler style to try and keep myself from initiating a second freak out.

It doesn't really work but Kakashi's able to keep me moderately calmer this time by simply being there. I blink rapidly trying to keep my focus primarily on him.

And not on the feeling of imminent  _doom._

Which is actually more normal than it should be.

I seriously should be getting some therapy really. Except that's one of those things that seem entirely foreign to this universe in general. Or really I've never seen anything or anyone that even remotely resembles a therapist in this universe. And really, no therapists seriously explains how and why most of the more powerful _(read: long lived)_  shinobi tend to be fairly off-kilter.

I really should just get a journal...

I yelp when I feel Kakashi's hand come down on my head and kind of sweat as I realize that everyone in the room is looking at me. Awkwardly I fist the bottom of my shirt and make a few sounds before looking over at Minato who actually seems kind of amused now.

"Team Seven!" Minato claps his hands together with a rather awkward looking smile "up on the roof!" he's gone within seconds and I blink rapidly before rubbing at my eyes. That's speed, although I'm sure that eventually Kakashi and I will surpass it... Hopefully. Eh, goals for the future.

We all sort of stare at each other one last time before quickly making our way up to the roof. Where Minato is standing and Kushina is perched happily on the railing behind him. I blink and Kakashi stares along with Rin.

"Shi?" I ask as a substitute for the ever eloquent huh? The Uzumaki lady only grins of course leaving us all the more confused. Isn't Minato our sensei? Or is there some kind of trick... Is the test going to be right now? "Shi? Kaa?" I am so confused it's not even funny, really I must have missed something earlier when I was in the midst of a mini panic attack.

Also Kushina's grin and excitement is kind of foreboding so I just kind of edge behind Kakashi and out of her reach. I'm kind of not looking forwards to being enveloped into a crushing hug if that's what she's planning on doing. My eyes narrow, I have a Kakashi Kushina!  _I have a Kakashi..._  Yeah that's a thing, I'm pretty sure it's a meme actually...

"Kushina-san..." Kakashi sighs closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before he continues catching me up. "Is our actual sensei... She just sent that idiot to fetch us." Oh, so basically Kushina decided to troll us.

That sounds about right actually.

I step back out from behind Kakashi cross my arms over my chest and kind of glare at her because really? I would be more annoyed, but actually I'm kind of relieved. Except that you know, Kushina's a Jinchuriki, also how did she get the clearance to become a jonin sensei? How many D-Ranks are we going to be looking forwards to.

A chill kind of races up my spine and the feeling of  _doom_  and  _despair_ comes back. Except this time not in the context of possibly being crushed and then turned insane but in the context of possibly being permanently being trapped in the village on D-Ranks.

Jinchurikis aren't really likely to be let out that far from the village... Although then again, Naruto got into a lot of serious stuff so who knows...

I might be just overreacting to the situation in my head here.

Actually thinking about it considering my Chakra Hypersensitivity I doubt that we really would have likely been doing much more than D-Ranks for a long time anyway. Even with the war raging just outside. So it's more than possible that the mission to destroy Kannabi would have been given to another team anyway. That... Doesn't really help though. It kind of gives me the feeling that things are already tumbling towards disaster really.

Not that reality and life in general doesn't already lean that way more often than not.

I blink at Kushina's hand waving over and over in front of my face before raising my head to look at her. Kakashi stands beside me amused and Rin is simply staring. I raise a hand to the back of my head and rub it sheepishly grinning in an offered apology. Minato, who's still there laughs a bit awkwardly drawing barely a glance from me, before Kushina waves him away.

"Anyway 'ttebane! Typically now we would introduce ourselves" Kushina sort of plonks herself down with both legs crossed beneath her. Also, my mind automatically fills in the usual introduction... Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams.

_Uchiha Obito, formerly Tammy. I like writing, reading and generally being creative, peaceful days outside and chocolate aren't opposed either. I dislike bullies, brats and being useless, also I can't say that I particularly like rissoles. My hobbies generally include the creative arts and once collecting bottlecaps. I don't really have any particular dream for the future..._

Yeah, except that the only problem with that of course is that I can't really speak here. Well, I could try but after I hit around eight and a half it got incredibly painful and I just kind of stopped even at night. Pain even when you're used to it is nothing more than a huge bother and blockage. No matter how hard you try it always attempts to halt you and get in your way.

It probably doesn't help that I'm incredibly stubborn so I keep trying anyway...

I absently listen to my team mates introductions with half an ear, not all that interested really. Since technically I already know them, Kakashi and Kushina-sensei especially. Of course I do keep my ears perked for any interesting facts, or unmentioned information... Kushina-Sensei still wants to be the first  _female Hokage_  at this point though.

I kind of want to see if I can push the changes in this timeline far enough that she'll become the Forth instead of Minato now. Because that would be just incredibly amusing.

I'll admit to a feeling of wanting more females in positions of power, So sue me. If the fact that I was more or less a girl in my previous life also happens to be influencing that wish then who cares. It's not as if I ever really cared that much for the gender-binary and gender roles anyway.

I mean, it's not like I really consider myself a girl or a boy...

So the idea of pushing the timeline in that direction is incredibly tempting and amusing and... Yeah I'm totally going to try my best to make that happen. I grin at Kushina before remembering one other thing. The final qualifying test, which would take place tomorrow. If our sensei were still Minato I would have at least a vague idea of what it might possibly be.

Kushina though...

"Shi?" I look up at her with a slightly tilted head even as she beams at us all. She's clearly thrilled to be a jonin sensei. Honestly I can see the draw, MINIONS. Also jokes about us being little ducklings or chicks following after our parent.

"Don't worry 'ttebane!" Kushina laughs single hand reaching over and ruffling my hair. I raise a hand in annoyance to knock hers away and she only widens her grin. "Tomorrow will be fun!" she declares before dismissing us and just disappearing herself. Her statement does not fill any of us with confidence though. Especially not Kakashi or I, whenever Kushina thinks something's going to be fun it generally means that things are going to get a bit crazy.

Or something's going to go incredibly wrong. There's not really that much difference between either thing anyway.

We've learnt to be paranoid whenever she says that something's going to be fun anyway. I trade a look with him before debating on whether or not to warn Rin. It would be a good idea, but at the same time... That would require actually being able to communicate with her without wanting to run away or burst into tears due to guilt.

Yeah, I think that I'll let Kakashi handle that... I give him a look that I'm pretty sure conveys that wish and he rolls his eyes. He still turns to Rin though and she stares even as I duck my head and fidget a bit.

"When Kushina-san says that something will be fun. Chaos typically happens." well okay that's a decent enough warning I think as I nod my head and give a rather awkward smile to Rin.  _Don't panic... Don't panic..._

"You mean that it's only fun in a certain context?" Rin asks and I nod my head vigorously, while trying to keep from allowing my breath to speed up.

"Yeah, also explosions tend to happen quite often." I huff at that because it's not as often as he's implying and he looks at me with half-lidded eyes and I simply press my lips together and puff myself up a bit. "Usually though their Obito's fault so I guess that's not as much of a problem to worry about" I cross my arms over my chest and roll my eyes. "See you tomorrow!"

With that said we both disappear. Heading straight home, I'm eager to see my parents really. Maybe if I can still get away with it I'll curl up on Otousan's lap for a snuggle. Just because I feel kind of as though I need a snuggle. Being forced to realize that yes Rin is still an actual person has probably caused that.

By tomorrow though I'll probably be more prepared to face her presence in my circle though. Hopefully, I close my eyes and duck my head down a bit. My stomach turns and I can feel the pulse of my heartbeat.

My insecurities are clearly on display.

Reaching the house I skid to a stop with Kakashi landing right beside me. I plaster a smile onto my face before taking a deep breath. Kushina's our sensei, which is unexpected but not unappreciated.

I'm betting that my parents have something to do with that... Sakumo as well probably, Mikoto-hakubo is also a suspect. They're protective really and considering that I have a slightly easier time around  _familiar_ chakra signatures. I push the door open and wander in behind Kakashi.

Seeking out my parents I wander around the house at a relatively slow pace. Kakashi's already in the yard, likely practicing some kenjutsu with Sakumo. I would join them, but I'm not really all that enthusiastic about it. Besides, Okaasan has news I'm pretty sure, so I'm more eager to find my parents and know what's going on.

Eventually I zero in on my parents signatures and speed up a bit to reach them. I pause outside the closed door just in case... Wouldn't be the first time I'd interrupted them but I still pause and listen for a bit before knocking lightly on the wall beside the door. Then I open it up and poke my head in.

They're both thankfully not really doing anything that could really traumatize me. If anything they both seem to be rather happy simply in each other's presence. Happy that we're all together. I automatically move over to them and clamber up to join them where they rest. Snuggling against Otousan's side I wait patiently for an explanation for what I was curious about earlier.

What I'm still curious about because Chakra signatures don't just change without reason. At least not that I've ever known.

Then again, I try my best not to actively interact with the rest of the world aside from those who I'm comfortable around. And well, their chakra signatures don't really abruptly change, discounting the way that Kushina's will spike and swirl and occasionally flare with biju chakra. So there's got to be some reason for the subtle change in Okaasan's chakra.

"Okk?" honestly though it doesn't take too long for me to forget being patient though. And I squirm around until I kind of lie across Otousan and peer upside down at Okaasan. She laughs lightly and I smile before frowning and reaching out a hand to poke at her. I'm really, really curious and kind of worried about the change in her signature.

She laughs before catching my hand and gently resting it against her abdomen. The action is actually kind of familiar.  _Cordell, Freedom, the Twins..._  Feeling for new life. My head sort of locks onto that and I know that I visibly kind of light up. Even if I can't really feel or hear anything, my sensitivity to chakra is able to feel the difference more clearly in this proximity.

Another two signatures just barely beginning to appear. It's barely a blip, but I can feel them(and isn't that amazing).

"It's still only near the start right now..." I hear my Okaasan's words but my mind is still more caught on the fact that there's another set of signatures there. "Obito, it's only a month in at this point..." I pout because does that matter, especially since the measurement of how long seems horribly inconsistent or unreliable. Also why would I care? I'm going to be an older sibling again!

Yeah, I'm going to definitely be the doting older sibling when they're born... Well as long as things go well.

Considering exactly how many complications can crop up during a pregnancy. From the simple and easily handled to the more worrying and unexpected. It doesn't help that now chakra is another dimension that needs to be worried about as well in this world. Although considering that I can feel them already, how is it that I have chakra hypersensitivity if that's one of the first things that develops along with the fetus?

It probably has something to do with my reincarnation... Of course considering that, I'm wondering why I don't have any memories of experiencing the sensation of floating in warmth and darkness. Considering that around week eighteen or something like that a fetus begins to have a regular sleep cycle... Which means vague dreams, and sensations...

Does that mean that my soul was simply dumped into this universe right as Obito was supposed to be born or something? I mean I remember that part of being reborn, quite vividly actually because seriously it was rather abrupt and unexpected. From sleep to suddenly everything's happening at once...

It makes me faintly shiver, and I come back to reality to see my Okaasan and Otousan both watching me worriedly. I allow a sheepish smile to spread across my face and draw my hand back before simply rolling over and hiding in a nest of blankets. It makes Otousan burst into laughter anyway and I grin behind the blankets, that's a win.

Although it's quickly negated by Otousan reaching over and grabbing me. Pulling me over and between them both for a hug. I pout before snuggling down my hair kind of fluffing over as I grin up at them both. Otousan snorts and presses a hand onto my head ruffling my hair. I don't pout rather I grin and try to reach up to ruffle his right back.

I fail but I can feel and see Okaasan's amusement even as I flop back down before pressing my hand back onto her still flat abdomen just to feel the flickers of my possible future siblings.

My eyes close and my mouth curves up into a smile. I'm definitely eager to see them and to be an older sibling again. My eyes open back up and I look up at Okaasan now a bit worried but for another reason. I don't exactly know the circumstances of my birth, but I'm more than aware that there were a few issues.

Least of those caused by the memories of another timeline... Another separate Self-Insert, or OC-Insert, which is the same difference. Of different timelines where complications caused her death the day I was born...

"Don't worry Obito!" I look over to Otousan who's expression has softened. "We're definitely going to take precautions to make sure that everyone's safe, and healthy!" he says and that comforts me only minutely. "We're not going to risk anything!" Okaasan pulls me into a hug and I close my eyes pressing my ear against her chest.

"Don't worry Obito..." Okaasan whispers to me her heartbeat steady "one surprise was more than enough. This time we're actually prepared." I actually kind of smile at that, even if I'm still worried.

Yet. This is also kind of relieving, because it's not exactly anything on the levels of doom. More it's just another change, and... It's family.

Tomorrow is the final qualifying test, but here and now... I'm basking in the knowledge that things are looking somewhat brighter in the context of family developments.

I'm feeling pretty good about my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, initially I wanted to have the twins and the pregnancy mentioned much, much earlier, as in they were originally sort of thought of to be brought in when Obito was around seven-eight, and then I just forgot to mention them... So instead here you go. Also, don't worry I know what I'm doing, mostly...
> 
> Now the second big thing this chapter brings in. Kushina is their sensei rather than Minato. There are several reasons for this. The main three being a) the first encounter with Minato in this fic resulted in a coughing fit for Obito, b) technically Kushina's status as Obito's fuinjustu tutor actually resulted in some paperwork that claimed them as her apprentice, thus it was "easier" for them to alter that and make her a jonin-sensei than it would have been to draw up some new paperwork, and c) Obito's parents are way overprotective, so is Sakumo for that matter. Also yeah, Mikoto's getting in on that wagon as well.
> 
> Next Chapter is finally the full Genin Test, and some fun with fuinjutsu.


	11. Halcyon Youth: Pushing the Boundary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday from Australia Obito. I managed to finish this in time to update on February tenth. I'm not sure whether I should be proud or not. But hey, at least I am still writing this hodgepodge of a fic.

Sometimes, sometimes I do wonder exactly what my life may have been like if I were just a touch less stubborn.

Would I be here? Would I be somewhere completely different? Who knows?

But I'm not, so here I am. And honestly the whole fact that I'm a shinobi and on a team with Kakashi and _Rin_ reminds me of a sports event in my previous life. I remember insisting that I would run, that I would participate. About half-way through the second lap my chest had seized, and it had hurt. Except I kept running, through the pain and the difficulty with my breathing I had kept going... In the end I had come third before dropping forced to acknowledge that yeah I had been stupid. Still third was a decent place out of the eighty odd of us there.

With that in mind, it's no wonder that I'm here. It's no wonder that even with Chakra Hypersensitivity, with pain ebbing and flowing through my entire being, I am still here. Standing and waiting with my team mates for Kushina-sensei.

Also I have a series of scrolls more or less just hanging off of me. Fuinjutsu, some that I've been cleared to use, other's not so much. But here and now, if I manage to ask, I'm sure that Kushina-sensei will let me test them. Since this is going to be a mostly controlled environment. _Mostly controlled._ Besides, this is a test, so why shouldn't I test out a few things myself?

I can feel Kakashi's gaze on my back and offer him a faintly pained smile. It's supposed to be reassuring, I actually think that it may have the opposite affect. Oh well, that's not really my problem.

At least, it's not my immediate problem.

I can also feel Rin's eyes watching me. Her presence still puts me just that touch more on edge and I can feel my hands twitch fingering a couple of the more loose scrolls where they're strapped to my belt. I need to be able to have a sense of calm in her presence, even if I never reach safe levels, I need to be able to feel calm in her presence at least.

There is a difference between feeling calm and feeling safe after all.

There is a difference. Even if most people don't make the distinction... I do, I _have to_ because just being calm isn't enough. Being _calm_ is just not enough in certain situations, with Rin though it will be... Hopefully.

I mean calm is the one before safe. More tolerant than trusting ultimately though, and ready to snap back to defensive if the need arises. _If the need arises_ , which yeah. I probably wouldn't have to worry about that with Rin, but at the same time... Shinobi.

Who knows what kind of disasters could be looming in the future. Even aside from Kuro's plans.

Even aside from what I'm sure are set points in time. Hurdles that are necessary to cross to create a future worth living in. A future that we'll actually live to see, hopefully.

So I need to be able to be calm. I need to be able to cope with Rin being nearby, with interacting with those around me beyond just those in my circle. Beyond my family and Kakashi. Beyond Kushina-sensei as well. I need to be able to do this, and to be able to be comfortable as me. As _Obito_.

Especially because really at this point, with all the changes that I've inadvertently already made who truly knows what the future may hold?

So I take a deep breath, and then another. I force myself not to focus on Rin, or on the faintly buzzing pain within me. I instead try to see if I could locate Kushina-sensei. Which is not going that well at all. The Uzumaki really can be tricky to find when she doesn't want to be found. Despite her status as a Jinchuriki, or maybe in spite of that... or even because of it. Who could tell, but that level of stealth.

It's really something to envy. To aspire for. Yet, still with my hypersensitivity I have an advantage that most don't. It doesn't really help all that much considering that Kushina-sensei's a Jonin. But it's still something to factor in.

Another deep breath. A pulse of energy and my eyes snap back open. I move, so does Kakashi and Rin. We only have that single moment to react really as kunai land in the ground where we were standing only moments before. It would seem that our test is already underway then. Kakashi catches on just as quickly as me and we kind of gravitate towards one another scanning the treetops to catch even a single glimpse of red.

I don't forget Rin either. Since I'm not sure which of us is more of a weak link here. Rin who's never really worked with us before, or me who's seconds away from having a breakdown at anytime all the time.

Which isn't that unfamiliar from my previous life honestly.

My health just generally sucks.

Yet I've always managed. Always pushed ahead, with determination, perseverance and resolve. My hands fist and the scrolls strapped to my belt rustle a bit with my movements. Narrowing my eyes and tilting my head and body slightly to one side. Here we go.

A whip of movement and a kunai is in my grasp within milliseconds and deflecting some thrown shuriken. I can see Kakashi doing the same from the corner of my eye. Rin's simply dodging though. I'll admit that the fact Rin's only dodging kind of disappoints me. I know that she wants to be a Medic, but seriously.

So I actually end up growling and glaring at her. Because dodging does not help at all. Funny since it's basically what I've been doing for most of this life actually. Dodging my problems, pretending that they don't exist and pretending that everything is fine. I suppose that it's fitting that I would now show my dislike of that. Truly humans are made of hypocrisy.

Of course there's no time to focus on that really. Quick slip left and a spin, pull out one of my scrolls switching to autopilot. It really only takes a small burst of chakra for the sealed weapons to be released and clasped in my hands. Well, one of them is only a Wok, but it counts as enough of a weapon.

More importantly though it doubles as a shield which is the purpose that I'm currently using it for as I move to defend with Kakashi. The problem with this test is that none of us really know what the point of it is. Just to defend for a period of time? To work together? To find Kushina-sensei? Who knows.

Whatever it is doesn't matter to me either. Not as much as just maintaining my balance, my equilibrium and being prepared to deflect and reflect the barrage of things flying at us. Not as much as I need to be able to move, and to have my kunai and shuriken ready to fling if the need arises. Not as much as I need to have my chakra flowing and ready to just pulse. Kushina really is the best sensei for us I think. If she's going to be doing stuff like this every time, teach us the way that reality would by flinging us pretty much into the deep end.

Except when it comes to Fuinjutsu, where it's effectively hyper-focus and awareness of what we're doing. Since no one wants to see anyone blow themselves up by accident with a single stroke of an ink brush.

Not that it doesn't mean that in a situation like this I won't forget the rules and just kind of go with it. As Ms. Frizzle always used to say; _Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!_ I'll admit, I'm good at that. Taking chances and making mistakes, getting messy as well. But then again who isn't good at that while growing up?

But with me I think that I tend to take it just that little step further. A little bit more, jumping and moving. Running right into trouble because I'll admit that it has that particular alure. With my other issues it's also easier for me to encounter trouble than it would be for others. I'm reminded of this by the pain that arches through my body as my chakra thrums and pulses within me. As the excitement and adrenaline rises and we move to a more defensible position of the training ground.

I suppose that it's just part of the reason that everyone always worries over me.

Because I refuse to worry over myself. Not until it gets bad enough to force me to stop really. Not aside from the moments where I lapse. Because this still was never supposed to be my life. Not that I'm going to just stop living it now.

I'm nine years in. With years to go. And years to change.

Which means as I land between Kakashi and Rin a grin spreads across my face and I swipe one of the scrolls from off my belt and double check it before readying my chakra. I'm sure that Kushina-sensei would find this one quite amusing if I get the chance to use it at any point during this test.

As it is though right now I only have it ready to use. Held in one hand, a wok in the other. Neither of them are really proper weapons, but they both serve their purpose.

As do my team mates in their own way. Kakashi knows more about what I'm likely planning than Rin does. I can feel his glare on my back but I'm ignoring it. Grin slipping into more of a smirk on my face as I shift stance. I'm ready.

I'm also likely edging into a bit of overconfidence.

Eh, that will likely be cured in a matter of seconds. Reality tends to do that after all, times the hits just perfectly to tear you down just as you're getting a touch too big headed. I've noticed that in all the years that I've lived. Across both lives really, no matter how far you get you will always have something that stumbles you.

But right in this moment, I don't dare focus on those thoughts. I don't focus on the pain. I focus only on the feeling of empowerment, the feeling of my chakra and the flicker of a whisper of chakra in the air that's Kushina-sensei.

I focus on those things and move.

The interesting thing is, even if technically I'm behind the curve. Even if technically I'm one of the slower members of our class, when I really get moving I'm much faster than anyone would honestly expect. Even without chakra enhancement. It's impressive really, very impressive. Or it would be if anyone actually bothered to pay attention to it.

Instead they're always complaining about those areas where I fall short.

The fact that I can't speak, the fact that my jutsu tend to act weird. The fact that I just don't fit. That's what most people focus on.

They don't see my strengths. In my speed, my determination and of course my fuinjutsu skills. In my intelligence and my ability to simply survive. Only those who truly care, and who truly matter see those strengths. Kushina-sensei, Kakashi, Okaasan and Otousan, Sakumo-san. Even Rin-san has seen them and noticed.

Which I suppose is a point in her favour, same with Minato-san.

But seriously, my speed is nothing to brush off. Without the enhancement it is just shy of an 'average' speed for a Genin shinobi. Which to a civilian is seriously fast. Which to someone from my previous life is more than fast enough. Of course with the enhancement I can move even faster, either way though I'm impressed because that kind of speed without the chakra flow really shows how hard I've been pushing myself just to keep up.

I close one eye a touch and move, there's Kushina-sensei. A flash of red and a clash of steal and we're facing one another. She's beaming, bright and a touch proud. Yet that still doesn't stop her from sweeping her leg out in an attempt to knock me over. Luckily I've learnt to expect that move and I leap back and spin the scroll in my hand.

Will I use it?

Will I not?

I'm not entirely sure in all honesty. I had just kind of grabbed it and gone with it. Even though I know vaguely what it's supposed to do, that doesn't mean that I necessarily know what it's going to do. In fact I barely really know what any of my fuinjutsu will do until I actually use them. Since a lot of them are written when I'm distracted or otherwise occupied and then they just kind of exist awaiting testing.

Awaiting use.

Kushina-sensei is watching me, she's also glancing back at the others. Rin is staring with such wide eyes honestly, Kakashi on the other hand doesn't look that impressed. He's too used to my hair brained antics in all honesty.

Yet, I know that if I use this one he'll probably like it. _The nut._

"Obito-chan, remember teamwork 'ttebane!" Kushina calls out and I actually find myself frowning for a moment. I know about team work. I know that's supposed to be our thing, but why is that relevant here?

Why is that..? Oh right, my head tilts just a touch and my eyes dart back to Kakashi and Rin for mere moments. It's enough and I become well acquainted with the ground. And Kushina's foot resting gently on my back to keep me there. I actually growl and glare up at her. That's not fair...

Then again we're supposed to be shinobi. Fair doesn't really come into it. But that was not fair at all. I make my displeasure well known by my growling and glare. Since I do not like being mocked like this. I don't like being reminded of how much I still don't know in this world. Also being on the ground is never fun.

Reminds me too much of the constant struggle to just live and continue to live back home. Reminds me in a way of failed camping trips and uncomfortable realities.

Also being on my belly feels like my ribcage is being crushed, pressed down. My struggling ceases and my fingers flex before curling up and my eyes widen pupils shrinking a bit. It's also Kushina's cue to release me and kind of scoop me up. I just remain like that completely still in her grasp for a while before blinking and coming back to myself.

Kakashi is definitely not impressed. Neither is Rin I don't think. Kushina-sensei only seems to appear amused by the entire situation though.

"Well 'ttebane? What did you learn from that?" she cheerfully asks as I shift around and eventually just drop myself into a position where I'm just hanging in her arms. Peering at Kakashi and Rin, but resting safe in Kushina's arms.

"Not to let Obito choose the method of attack" Kakashi drawls and I make a whining sound. "Also to actually work together." he adds and I make another whining sound. Because working together right off the bat tends to end poorly. Hasn't he ever watched... oh, right, those cartoons don't exist here.

Still I glare at Kakashi because really? Really did he honestly expect us to be able to work together? Or well for me to think beyond be prepared for anything? Or well just think at all. I think that's the lesson here, learn to think before rushing in. I'm also pretty sure that this lesson has been repeated to me by many different things. Not just this but reality in general. I'm just too stubborn to accept it.

"Kaa... t'ink!" I struggle to explain what I 'learnt' and eventually give up about half way there. "t'ink ichiji?" I ask, it hurts but to see their faces when I manage even a short sentence like that makes the pain worth it honestly. Also it makes me feel so freaking proud because they so clearly didn't expect me to be able to do that. The pain is worth it when they look so happy just to hear me say anything. To see the reactions to the fact that I can, that I'm trying. But still that's not the point of this ultimately. "Shi?"

"Rin-chan?" Kushina looks over at Rin who's standing off to the side a little bit awkwardly. Not that I can blame the girl. We probably make her stick out a bit honestly. Both Kakashi and I have worked with Kushina before, trained with her before. Not quite like this but in a way that was similar. Rin on the other hand, well she's never really been part of our circle before. Mainly because I was avoiding her, pretending that she didn't exist so now... Now it leaves us in a bit of a weird position.

"Riin?" I offer it tentatively and the girl's eyes rest on me before she looks up at Kushina nervously.

"We need to be a team?" Rin offers before taking another deep breath "Also we probably need to learn to watch out for one another, I think that I need to be able to support more..."

"Iie!" I say and wave one arm in the air. No, not more support, more fight. Yes she can learn more support and medical techniques in the future but if this is going to work. "Iie!" Kakashi just kind of stares at me as I wave a hand in the air. "Faito" Okay wow, I'm actually saying a fair amount of words today and that hurts. But still it gets my message across and I can feel Kushina's laughter.

I can also feel Kakashi's deadpan stare at me. But I'm focusing on Rin's reaction. She looks bewildered to be honest. Completely bewildered. I honestly can't blame here, if I were on the receiving end I likely wouldn't know what I meant either.

But I'm the one shouting meaningless words pretty much. At least up until Kakashi clarifies.

"Obito means that they would prefer that you learn to be useful first." And he turns it into an insult. Kakashi you betrayed me.

"Iie!" Kakashi you traitor that's not what I meant at all. If I wanted to I could screech at him for a lot longer but really I don't want to wind up curling up in a miserable blanket ball later today because my throat hurts. So I settle for dialing it back to a rather impressive glare. I am still an Uchiha after all.

Even if I may never be a good one I am still an Uchiha and if they're one thing that we're good at aside from burning things and being arrogant it's glaring. And generally throwing daggers and knives with our eyes.

Either way while that's happening Kushina laughs again and cheerfully says:

"Welcome to Team Seven 'ttebane!"

I suppose that means that we passed in the end. Funny, because I didn't get to test my fuinjutsu in the end after all. At least there was nothing that we really had to worry about in the context of Rin being here...

Oh boy... Team Seven is now a thing. This is going to be fun. And now, now I'm really going to have to deal with Rin. Maybe if I push her to change enough I won't feel quite as anxious about it...

Oh well... only time will tell I guess.


	12. Halcyon Youth: Shadow Figures

 

Okay, I have found something new to hate with most of my being. D-Ranks. Will they never cease? I hate them, hate them so, so much. It's like cleaning your room at midnight with school starting at 7:45 the next day and expecting to be awake by 6 when you've only just managed to get to sleep by 4 except that you're being paid to do it and for some reason the smell of sewage and dog poop is lingering all over you.

It's horrible.

Mainly because we keep getting sent to clean up shit. Literally. It reeks and I want so badly to gag and cough constantly because what kind of menial labor is this? Also how exactly does this class as a D-Rank? Doesn't the Elemental Nations have people to do this stuff for them rather than shove it onto their shinobi. Apparently not.

Or else Kushina-shishou is purposefully doing this to see how long until we break down and attack her. Which would likely initiate a training session after she finished slamming us into the ground. But seriously, we've been stuck on sewage duty for the better part of a month so far. The absolute worst D-Ranks that Kushina-shishou could find discounting Tora since I'm friends with the cat.

Which means that we currently hold the record for quickest time catching Tora... Literally thirty seconds. Half a minute.

Which now means we're stuck during this. Which I suppose is building up our endurance for something, but seriously. Seriously I absolutely hate this with a burning passion. And I don't even have to do any of the worst parts. Kushina-shishou typically seems to grab me and then put me on monitor duty, or settle me down with a different part of the job that means I don't have to wade through the grossest parts of the sewage.

That means I don't literally get swallowed up and disappear somewhere into the gunk. Our first time on this mission was spent mostly trying to find me after that happened. Never have I felt more tiny really.

I'm the shortest on our team. Seriously. I mean it's like my old life all over again, I'm going to be super short and then suddenly just shoot up. Or maybe not shoot up, who knows, it's weird. It's weird but at the same time I hold this odd kind of pride about being the shortest. Considering otherwise I'm kind of in the middle when it comes to Kakashi and Rin.

Kakashi's the youngest and Rin is older than us both.

I seem to always fall in the middle when it comes to ages really. Well kind of, I would have to check a bit more but eh...

So I hold a strange pride about being the shortest on our team.

Shortest in our age group actually.

It's kind of funny, because it reminds me so clearly of my previous life. Where again I was short until I suddenly wasn't. So I really think that it's going to be the same...

Why is someone poking me in the forehead? I blink and oh there's Kakashi. He doesn't look that impressed at all. I blink again before shifting to rub the back of my head and kind of laugh nervously. I look around wondering why he's poking me. There doesn't seem to be anything obvious for me to worry about so I look up at him in pure confusion. Why did he poke me, he only crosses his arms over his chest and keeps giving me that unimpressed look.

It takes me another handful of seconds to actually realize. It's only us two that are here. Both Rin-chan and Kushina-shishou are missing completely. That's worrying, especially when we're still on a D-Rank clear out the sewers mission to be specific. Even if I'm up on one of those platforms by the water that runs in the sewer and Kakashi is down in it.

I look around again in confusion, where are they? Is this another kind of test? Or is this something else. I can't tell and it makes me twitch a bit hands curling in and eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Kakashi merely sighs and then looks up at me and grabs me by the sleeve as he jumps up to stand beside me.

"Kaa?" I ask blinking in confusion and he only sighs again.

"Come on... let's catch up with them." he sighs and I laugh nervously before following him. Through the winding tunnels that spread all under Konohagakure, through the paths that make up the sewers. They're honestly something to behold really, considering that they can be used as evacuation routes and there are several of what I would consider strongholds down here. Weapons and storage, along with a few bedding areas from set up by bored shinobi I would guess. Wide and spacious with paths on both sides. Formed from the stone around us, yet more solid than steel. It's truly amazing when you stop to consider it.

Of course we had to keep it clear. It's an evacuation route, and a safe haven under certain circumstances.

Our footsteps echo as we walk and I can't help but grin really. It's actually kind of nice doing D-Ranks when we're not actually doing them. In the down moments between the actual work of the mission. Although I would still prefer doing stuff like the gardening missions or even helping out in any of the retirement homes around Konohagakure. Or perhaps going to the Orphanage to cheer the younger children up.

But still, even this is necessary. A necessary contribution to the village, even if it's a rather annoying one. And a rather dirty one all around.

No one likes sewer duty. Not really. It's like dealing with civilians at the Police Station. Always complaining, always grumpy and frustrated and is it any wonder that the Clan complains in the safety of the compound. A pain that you just have to deal with, and a scent that just sinks in and stays there.

Yet I still continue to walk and watch the cracks in the stone ceiling in silent contemplation. I don't quite know what the point of this is. I mean yeah we're still technically newly minted Genin, but at the same time... it's been a month.

A whole month of this.

I look back over at Kakashi. He's been so quite this entire time. Dutifully going about the job that he was given. Which was as said clearing out the useless trash. And occasionally, a couple of times I had pointed out a corpse floating down the sewer. Fools really. Who dies and gets dumped into the sewer anyway? Civilians likely, but they're annoying to grab out anyway. And try to identify, and then deal with my family because they don't fall under our particular jure-discretion. In other words, it's not our job to deal with them.

Not unless they're actually wearing a Hitai-ate anyway.

Or you know, they happen to be a foreign shinobi that's somehow made there way into our sewers. Seriously, stuff like this really makes you wonder how much the show didn't tell you. How much is left out of the Manga, the Anime, the spin off which is questionable anyway but still. Makes you wonder how many fanfics were closer to what's happening in the background.

It really makes you stop and take a couple of steps back really.

Or just drop it all and consider it another one of those multiverse things. Because who can be bothered wondering such things. It'll keep you there until the end of your life wondering. Seeking. Asking.

Just wondering will never get you anywhere. It will in fact slow you down, so while I do tend to muse on it at times I primarily try to shake it off. I've discovered so much here, just growing up and living. Just being myself and living, when I allow myself to anyway. And now, it's easier I suppose. Because the differences are stark even at this point. Although Rin could still use some work to get out of the only useful as support zone.

Currently that's pretty much all that she is.

And it irks me.

It irks me so much.

Seeing them just up ahead I can feel my fists and jaw clenching. Because I really, really am not impressed with the way that Rin is still primarily a support player. Kakashi picks up on it and he looks at me maybe slightly confused. Or just amused, I still have a bit of trouble at times to read him at all. I think that it's the mask honestly, it throws me off. Has since the day that he got it.

I mean I can still read him better than most people can aside from his father and my parents but it still throws me off at times. And his chakra doesn't help.

"We only have one more tunnel to go 'ttebane!" Kushina cheerfully calls out as we arrive and I look up at her rather unimpressed. "Come on now 'ttebane. Don't look so grumpy Obito-chan... you look like you missed your nap!" That's probably because I did.

I missed the nap that I still take during the day. Chakra hypersensitivity, combined with the way that I work that much harder than everyone around me due to not automatically enhancing myself with chakra. In fact I almost go out of my way to avoid enhancing with chakra. Which means that my metabolism is different even for a shinobi.

All shinobi are big eaters due to the use of chakra and the amount of time that we work out with our bodies. For me I eat almost the same amount as an Akimichi, or a Jinchuriki due to my lack of chakra use and the fact that my body just uses all that energy up much faster. It's also why I usually have a bit of a nap during the day. A nap that I missed today.

So I give an ever sourer look to Kushina-shishou at the comment and she just laughs while Kakashi sighs from beside me.

"They probably did Kushina-sensei. Usually Obito-chan does have a small nap, because they need the rest to perform properly." It also helps me to maintain my equilibrium. To maintain control over the pain, which is rising. Lack of rest, and a bit less food and I can feel the difference even when my chakra is pulled as far back as I can keep it.

"Kaa..." I whine and Rin looks up from where she is almost waist deep in the water. For me it's just above my elbows. Probably another reason I'm not allowed to enter it to fish out the trash. I mean seriously, I'm tiny. At 103cm I'm one small nine year old, Rin's 126cm and Kakashi's 132cm. And it's much harder to remember to swim than to just drift, especially when I'm grumpy and needing my nap.

Or you know whatever.

It's probably why I've been getting more and more irritable as the mission has worn on though. Because I seriously need that nap. Kind of like the Nara family honestly, they have reasons for their laziness, for their own napping habits. Not the same reasons as mine, but they do have reasons and a logic behind their demeanor. It's so strange to be here and to know that kind of stuff. It's so strange, but at the same time not.

But I have to push past that as we get back to the mission. It only takes us a few more minutes and then we trudge back up and through the village to report in. Kushina-shishou owes us ramen for this... And I seriously need that nap.

* * *

A nap, a meal at Ichiraku's, and a bath later and I'm feeling much better. Much more refreshed and ready to face whatever else the day may bring.

Of course, that doesn't mean anything as I walk down the streets of Konoha more refreshed than I was earlier. And less likely to snap. Honestly I feel much better, but it doesn't really mean anything. Especially since we've been given the rest of the day off pretty much. The rest of the day to do whatever we wish to do really. Which for me means walking around Konoha and just seeing the sights.

It's a way for me to train my observation really.

Since I need to learn more about focus and intent... Wandering around Konoha is a good way to do that honestly. Especially because it means that I'm also getting the chance to learn more about Konoha itself. About the village that is my home in this new life.

I'll be honest, now that I've gotten more settled. Now that I'm getting away from my guilt more and more... it's amazing. And much, much bigger than it ever seemed to be based purely on the manga and the anime. There are so many people, and places and secrets that you just don't expect when wandering around the village. And I love it, even when feeling the pure dysphoria that this is not my life, I still love the world that I'm in here. Even if the civilians as a collective are even stupider than stupid.

Seriously, even now I can see how quickly it would just dissolve into mob mentality if something were to go just a little bit awry. Civilians are stupid. The merchants stand at their stalls, pure civilians walk the streets and older shinobi patrol, but over it all are the whispers.

It's as if they think that we can't hear. Or that I'm stupid.

"Yeah that's the one..."

"Can't imagine why they'd allow him to be a shinobi. It's insane"

"Heard that he gave everyone quite the scare..."

It's been a good month, and the whispers still follow. It doesn't help when Kakashi get's brought up either. So often I hear the whispers that I'm holding him back, or that he's wasting his potential. I guess in a way he is, but what do they know? What do I know?

What good would he be if he were sent out too soon? Nothing more than a corpse.

So I ignore most of the whispers and murmurings as I walk down the streets of Konoha staring up at the decorations hanging around. I think that there may be some event coming up but I have no idea. I never really pay attention to those things. Besides the only events that I'm looking forwards to is the future birth of the Clan Heir, of Itachi...

That will be in another three months if I remember correctly. Mikoto-hakubo is certainly looking forwards to it anyway. Apart from that, with my okaasan pregnant I'm also looking forwards to having some younger siblings to dote on and embarrass. And Itachi, because why wouldn't I spoil the future heir to the clan?

But still, all the decorations around Konoha are eye catching, and eye pleasing. If a bit bewildering, it's almost like the civilians don't know that there's a war going on outside... Or they just don't care. Considering the way that this world works I'm leaning more towards the latter being the actual explanation for what's going on. So I end up pausing and looking at a display of decorative masks off to the side.

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

The twelve animals of the Zodiac.

Funnily enough, I was born in the year of the dog this time around, so was Kakashi. It suits him. I don't really know how well it really suits me though. In my previous life according to that particular Zodiac I was a tiger...

My eyes dart over the masks. From the decorative dog one to the tiger mask.

I shouldn't even be considering them. But it's just so perfect, and it's something different. And they're not like the ANBU masks, because they're not white or painted with designs the way ANBU masks are. Aside from that, they're purely civilian decorative masks. Like the ones you hang up on the wall to display, not ones that you would wear. At least not seriously. At least not to most people anyway.

But then again I am different to most, always have been and always will be.

Yet could I afford getting one? And then something else catches my eye and I turn just to stare at the glittering thing off the path. I leave the stand behind and follow the glint and glimmer, eventually leaving the bustling streets behind. Looking around I can't find what was creating it, and the shadows actually kind of loom overhead. Maybe I should, there's a clatter and I jump pulling out a kunai and holding it in one hand loosely. My chakra is still tightly contained, or well almost tightly, there's still a small thread of it circulating.

I refuse to entirely lock it away.

Locking it away fully just seems like it would be a recipe for disaster really. And here and now I actually loosen the containment even if it means that the pain increases again. I'm not alone, but I can't see anyone. I can't sense anyone either, I just know that I'm not alone here. I just know that there's someone else here just out of sight, or whatever. I just don't know whether they're going to be friend or foe.

Or if I'm just... there's a rustle and I spin around to look up at someone who's just standing there. And I can't feel anything from them, just a blank yearning empty space. It's terrifying. Feeling nothing even when I can see them right in front of me.

They're wearing a grey cloak and a hood that shadows their face. It makes it really hard to tell whether they're a girl or a boy, maybe that's the point. I take several steps back as they watch me and tilt their head.

I bare my teeth and raise my hackles defensively.

Who is this person? They're not an ANBU that's for sure. If they were then I'm sure that I would be able to see the mask. The mask that they're not wearing. I can see the way that they frown as I take a few more steps back only to be stopped by the wall. I narrow my eyes further and bare my teeth again. They keep frowning and then blink and reach out a pale hand towards me.

I can't move, it's as though everything has frozen. And yet before they touch me there's something else, a swish and I can see the back of a black head of hair, and flailing limbs and then I jump to the side and whoever that was is gone. But the cloaked person is still there. They're still frowning, contemplative and they look up at me with a final glance before speaking this time.

"So they are protecting you... that's different." Wait what? My confusion must show on my face because they laugh before shaking their head. Dismissive. "Not now... it's only for you to learn later on." What, what's going on? Before I can really do anything more though they're gone. I wish that this was the strangest thing that had ever happened to me, but nope... I'm pretty sure that being reincarnated with memories would always top that list.

Or well, maintain a pretty high position anyway.

But still, what the heck was that?

I give one last wary glance to the area around me before I turn and dash away. I'm not going to stick around any longer. That strange person could come back and who knows what they might do when they do.

I don't want to find out. So I just run, and ignore the feeling that I should have known...


	13. Halcyon Youth: Dresses, Gender and Chakra Analysis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Okay, so this will be the way I'll signify casual signing for when Obito is talking!"
> 
> "And this will be serious signing for shinobi missions"

Why exactly do I have to be a boy again? It's not fair. Because the one time I actually find myself wanting to wear a dress I can't. It would be too much trouble to deal with at this point in time. Yet I still find myself standing with my eyes glued to the dress in the display of the window.

It's not fair.

It's just not fair.

At least there's no one who I'm really close to around to watch me twiddle here and stare at the dress. At least there's no one around who will ask me about it. Or at least not without some skepticism. As for Gai who's there with me. He just doesn't seem to want to ask me anything. I think that it's kind of nice honestly. He's polite, and respectful. If a bit overwhelming to be around for an extended period of time.

He doesn't ask questions if you don't seem to want to be asked questions anyway.

So I don't mind being with him while Kakashi and Rin are off doing other training for the day. I'm supposed to be training as well but eh. Aside from reigning in my chakra, observation and the other usuals I don't really want to do anything. It's our day off. Our proper day off, not just because we finished early.

Of course that's lead to this dilemma, I had decided that spending some time with Gai might be interesting. Decided to drag him down the street with me and to point out anything that I found interesting. And then I had seen the dress. So now I'm here staring at it with the sudden want to just wear one. Which as said before, that's not really a common thing for me. My mother used to have to drag me around when she insisted on dress shopping.

Which means this experience is entirely unique in that way as well. There's a dress that I actually want.

It's seriously not fair.

Why of all the curve balls to be thrown my way. Why is it a dress, and when I'm with Gai of all people. I know that he won't bug me about it, but at least with Kakashi I could have an easy distraction... as for Rin. She's understanding.

Maybe too understanding sometimes.

She still intimidates me, unsettles me and occasionally I find myself wondering how in the world she even exists. She's kind of like Naruto except calmer, more reserved and generally better at resolving conflict without resorting to slamming someone in the face.

It's terrifying.

It's probably the current reason that I'm still unsettled around her. Not because of what she represents anymore, but rather because of how kind she is. Of course that's neither here nor there because my current predicament has nothing to do with anyone around me, unless you count civilians and the expectations of the Uchiha Clan.

This is all because of me.

Because I want to be able to just go and buy it. But still I'm being held back because of where I am, because of how it will be seen. And I just can't... I can't do it yet because it would be too much trouble to deal with at this point in time.

It's not even that I can't afford it. I probably could. But trying to communicate the specific details of my gender identity and preferences at this point is closer to the side of insanely difficult than it is to the easy to deal with side of things. I mean, I'm getting better at using the signs that people have begun teaching me, better at cooperating and using them. But I still mostly use my non-verbal sounds to communicate.

Except with my parents, and surprisingly Gai.

Probably because he's helping me learn. Made it one of his self imposed challenges.

"Why, life not fair?" I angrily sign the words at him and he only offers a shrug in response. I puff my cheeks out a bit and glare furiously into the shop. "Not fair... want, can't have!" He doesn't judge, for that at least I'm thankful. He just takes things in stride, and gently tugs me away and down the street.

It helps but only barely and I know myself well enough to know that I'm going to be in a bit of a grump for the rest of the day. If I could just figure out how to explain my gender in simple terms I could get it over and done with. I could buy the dress and wear it without having to worry about how those I'm close to would react. I could stand the whispers of the civilians and the rest of the Clan...

It's just, I don't know if I could stand confusion from those close to me.

Gai already seems to know at least peripherally what's up with me. Kakashi already often seems to default to they with me actually, and Rin is as always kind, and really scarily understanding. But...

I don't really know about Sakumo, Kushina-shishou, Mikoto-Hakubo or my parents.

I'm sure that my parents would love me either way. But the problem is explaining it in a way that it won't get lost in translation. And without signing non-binary... I HATE that term. It feels yucky, cloying and sticking. Like an open wound that's weeping but not bleeding. Maybe a bit too dismissive. I've always found that it felt as though it were taking something away. So I really don't want to use that term.

But how do I explain it.

It's not like I can use words, I still sound like a toddler when talking. It's awkward, and okay kind of adorable, but at the same time... It's most of the reason that people call me stupid, or dismiss me off hand. They think that I'm simple like a toddler as well. As if toddlers are simple.

As if _children_ are simple.

"Obito..?" I blink and look over at Gai before shaking my head. "If you're sure." He frowns before seeming to come to a decision. He brightens and grabs me by the hand before I can offer even a token defence. He's fast, and honestly I think that whatever idea he has it will probably be better than just leaving me to deal with my issues and allow them to simmer. "You up for a bit of Taijutsu practice Obito-san?" he asks when we reach one of the closer training grounds.

I mull over that for a few seconds before finally nodding my head.

Taijutsu practice sounds good. It sounds really good and we both easily slip into our stances ready to begin.

At an unseen signal we both move, it's like sparring in the Academy really. Pure taijutsu. Feet, hands, twisting your body out of the way of your opponents moves. Targeting any opening and weak point that you see. Sweep out your leg, try to catch your opponent off balance.

Gai's a good match really.

He's better than I am. Better than Kakashi is honestly. Yet what makes him so great is that he knows how to slow down, to make his fights, his spars just difficult enough for his opponents. To make it fair.

I'm already losing.

And then his foot lashes out and I'm flying backwards and skidding across the ground. It's a lot less painful than you would expect really. Probably because I've already experienced a much worse pain though. Gai watches as I shake my head and then get back to my feet. I need to learn to guard that one weak spot. Every time. Every single time we do this he gets me there.

It's actually kind of embarrassing.

Since I seriously should have learnt by now that he will always aim for that spot if I leave it open as I do. I mean really, I need to work on that. But it feels weird guarding there, weird shifting my body to shield that area. It's probably just me but still. Kind of hard to defend yourself when it feels weird to do so.

I shake my head rapidly and grit my teeth together turning to face Gai once more. He meets my eyes and we both nod. It's an easy enough routine really, swing an arm out and moving. I tend to jump around a lot as well, using my smaller size to duck beneath his arms and target the few openings that I do manage to catch. I tend to wind up using my head a lot.

Along with a few moves that kind of vaguely remind me of break dancing. Yet not really, it's part of one of the Uzumaki taijutsu styles that I had seen Kushina-shishou using. I probably should get her to teach me it properly but for the moment it's not really doing any harm. At least not much more harm than just the lifestyle that I am living does in general. It's not like the life I've picked won't lead to me harming myself more often than not.

My hand meets Gai's and for a moment it could almost pass as a fist bump before we pull back and stand opposite one another. I pant for a bit before closing my eyes and letting out a breath. Then I grin, that was a nice distraction really. Except that's all that it could be, and it wasn't nearly a long enough one. I flop down into the grass and raise my hands up to cover my eyes. I remove my hands slowly and just kind of stare up at the sky.

Peripherally I'm aware of Gai moving closer to my side but I can't be bothered doing much more than tilting my head slightly in his direction. I breath in, and then out and just stare up at the light and fluffy clouds in the sky. Drifting without a care in the world, because they don't have anything to give them a care.

Clouds don't have any sentience, they're just condensation that's still light enough to float in the sky.

I close my eyes and simply allow the breeze to play across my skin. And I loosen my grasp on my chakra and allow it to flow. It's like slamming straight into a wall really. An abrupt jolt of pain that just lingers, a faint pressure within me that focuses in my arms and legs. A momentary sharp pain in the side of the head and pressure in my throat.

But, it's still not as bad as it could be. I can function with this level of pain. It's no where near molten steel flowing through my body, knife twisting in my chest and back, swarm of bees, pounding hammer. Inability to breath because it felt like there's a blockage, or the feeling of someone standing over me, choking me... it's not anywhere near those things. I can function with this. It might hurt, it might be distracting, but it's no where near debilitating.

Not yet.

I still struggle to maintain a normal breathing pattern though. My breath catches for mere moments and Gai is watching me worried. But he doesn't move to help, because I haven't really indicated that I need it. I slowly blink my eyes open again and take a deep breath. Focusing on my pathways, both the chakra ones and the ones which spread my blood around. Breath out, and for mere seconds I could sense my tenketsu.

Repeating the process I just focus on that. My chakra, my breathing, and in a way the pain.

I'm not a stranger to pain. I'm not a stranger to weirdness with my body.

This is another distraction in a way. But this is also trying to adjust to my chakra. To feel it, to know it, to accept it... Or further accept it. But it's not that simple. The problem with Chakra Hypersensitivity is the fact that it's the body rejecting your chakra. It's a disease, so is Supersensitivity but they work differently. In infants and small children the conditions are often mistaken for one another.

In people like me, they can also have different interactions. Many reincarnations are initially somewhat hypersensitive to chakra after all, only later does it resettle into supersensitive. In my case though because of other things it's still hypersensitive. So I moderate myself. When in the presence of someone who I can trust to get help the moment something goes really wrong I do this. I release my hold and spread my chakra through my body to meditate.

To adjust and review in a way.

It also helps me to deal with a few other issues.

Both Hypersensitivity and Supersensitivity technically make you into a sensor. But in completely different ways. **Hypersensitivity** focuses primarily on the inner workings of your chakra, and on the ways that it interacts with the Natural Energy of the world around you. Feeling the Chakra of others is kind of a side effect at this point, because they're part of the world. Anyway it's the interaction with the Natural Energy that causes most of the pain, because when you breath in, your body circulates that through your system... That's what hurts, your body rejecting that. Not your chakra, because your chakra is you...

Ki, the physical. Chi, the spiritual. And Natural Energy to affirm that you're part of the world.

**Supersensitivity** on the other hand focuses more on the outside. You can't feel as much about yourself, you might get a bit more of an awareness of your chakra level but for the most part it's about perception. Energy around you and recognizing the signatures and intent of those around you. Also, I would assume that it would lead to an easier time absorbing the concepts and teachings of Ninshu... If anyone bothered to really consider them.

The fact is, even supersensitivity interacts with Natural Energy, but they don't have any pain. A faint itch, or discomfort... More something like that one annoying fly that you can't get to leave you alone.

The simple fact is...

Not many people actually realize that everyone has some level of Natural Energy running through them.

Chakra Hypersensitivity is not so much your body rejecting chakra as it is your body rejecting the world. Or rather your **Soul** rejecting the world. Your soul is made up of the two halves, but ultimately most of it is linked to your Chi. Ki would be your attachment to the physical plane, to life and Chi to the mental and spiritual plane, in a way to death. To something more, but only together do they really make up a full soul. Which is why Edo Tensei is able to work the way that it does...

Fact is, it's when these two parts reject the Natural Energy of the world that Chakra Hypersensitivity exists. And to a lesser degree Supersensitivity.

In my case, my fears clouded my mind for too long. Held me back to the point where now it will take me years to really accept the world. Which is why I'm doing this.

"Obito-san!" my eyes once more focus on Gai and I offer him a smile from where I'm lying. I feel more numb that sore by this point. Probably the effect of focusing so much on what's going on with my body. Feeling the pathways with the faint traces of Natural Energy flowing seamlessly alongside my chakra. Not part of it though, never part of it, and that's the problem isn't it?

"mmky?" I make one of my sounds as I look up at Gai. The problem with having the Natural Energy flow the way it does through me is the little interaction between it and what's actually my chakra. Because it means that it's rejected, not recognised as part of me... thus the pain. "Gai!" I wave a hand in the air, to indicate that I'm fine. The pain is actually more of a numbness now anyway.

Maybe that's more worrying.

I mean at least with pain you know that something is wrong. With that realization I take a deep breath feel all the threads of my chakra and then pull most of them back and wind them up to compress and hide. Only the bare minimum is left, maybe even less actually. A sensor would probably mistake the traces left in me for that of a chakra ghost, or a fading seal, or fading chakra left after someone's just died, or used a jutsu.

This much doesn't really actively hurt as much as having the full amount flowing through me. It's also my regular level.

It's possibly why Konoha's sensors are going to be much more sensitive to lower levels of chakra for the next few years as well. And why my chakra pool seems to be growing... For whatever reason that's what happens when you compress and repress your chakra, it grows. At least it's growing in equal parts. Chi and knowledge for control, Ki and stamina(strength) for power.

"Fine Gai... just fine! Practicing... adjusting" it feels so awkward trying to use sign language like this. But it's still much better than trying to talk and sounding even worse. I mean it's not that I can't talk, but it's always going to sound stilted, awkward due to some words just being too hard to attempt not because they're actually hard, but because it will hurt too much. To hard on me. It's my own fault, but it still sucks. It's still going to be a major problem.

Gai frowns for a few moments before he speaks again. It makes me frown and then shrug my shoulders.

"Well as youthful as that is. Maybe you should wait for us to be in the presence of one of our Sensei. It would not be very youthful for you to end up in the hospital again!" He's entirely correct and I take a deep breath closing my eyes.

It's so hard.

I can feel the easing numbness in my body. The blades of grass that stick to the back of my shirt and tickle the back of my neck and my bare arms. I can feel the light brush of the wind in my hair and the small pulse of my blood through my body. Each intake of breath, the faint flutter of my heartbeat.

I slowly open my eyes back up and roll over a bit before pushing myself up and giving Gai a small glare. Well it's not really a glare, but it is annoyed.

I understand the point. I really do, but what's the problem with being a little bit reckless every now and again? Why can't I ever get away with a bit of recklessness. It seems kind of unfair really. I mean I get it, I really do with my health issues I should be more careful. But honestly, I've always been the kind of person who if they could, they would cause at least a small amount of chaos, they would try their best to step out of the safe zone.

You will never get anywhere in life if you constantly remain within your comfort zone.

You have to try to go anywhere.

"Just practicing... always, always practicing." I sign with a sad smile that crosses my face. I then look up at the clouds and point to them. "Can't drift! So try harder!" he understands. In a similar way to Kakashi really, he just seems to understand. He just seems to get it. "One day... Get it one day!"

"I'm sure you will Obito-san!" Gai beams at me and I have to laugh. "Maybe not today but once you figure out how to explain in the most youthful way to your family you'll be able to get it." he flashes me a thumbs up. "I know that you will Obito-san! Now do you want to go for another round of taijutsu?"

"Show them spirit!" I gleefully sign and push to my feet ready and standing across from Gai. Maybe I won't be getting a dress today, or anytime soon. But as soon as I figure things out... I'm sure that I'll be ready.

And hey, at least I have good friends who already know at least part of what's going on.

Even if they don't know the full story, so far they've already picked up more than the adults have. Reminds you how perceptive younger people can be sometimes. How they can see the obvious things that many of us overlook the older that we get. You don't always have to search for what's underneath the underneath after all. Sometimes, you only have to brush the surface to see what's really there.

"GO!"


	14. Halcyon Youth: Orange Goggles

The moon sure is bright when it's full. I rest once more beneath the tree in the Hatake's yard. I can't sleep, I don't know why but I can't. So instead I have wandered out here into the yard to rest beneath the tree and simply stare up at the moon. It's bright, and a full circle hanging suspended up in the night sky. Stars glimmer and sparkle around it and I find myself taking deeper breaths than usual.

It's a peaceful night really. Only a faint breeze and I curl my bare feet a bit resting my back against the trunk of the tree behind me. Here I am shielded from the world, here I am safe. Small and insignificant in the face of the multiverse but safe and the night is peaceful. Quiet and undisturbed.

Listening to the night sounds this time around is soothing, a couple of crickets, an owl or two. It's peaceful and I find that I just want to rest here for now.

I'm not likely to be sleeping soon staring up at the moon the way that I am. But I don't really think that I want to sleep. Not right now, not when I'm simply feeling the way that the world keeps turning. Even here the world spins around and around never stopping.

Let the world keep spinning.

I close my eyes and rest my head back the tree bark surprisingly comforting beneath my head. Opening my eyes back up they soon come to rest on the moon again.

It's almost chilling to recall how central the moon is to the disaster that the future could become. The reflection for the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and the fact that it was created by Hamura and Hagoromo. Nothing at all like the tales that I was told in my previous life.

Seven days. Seven Metaphorical days is how long it took for the world to be created, with each day equating to something like one thousand years. One thousand circuits of the earth around the sun, times seven. That's how long it took to make the world. I don't know if this world has a similar backstory. Oh I'm sure there are some religions that would draw attention to such tales but still.

The moon was man made here.

Or alien made.

I shiver a bit at the thought. Technically we're aliens. All who're descended from Kaguya, we're all aliens technically speaking. From who knows where, it's actually really weird to think about honestly. Because what the hell does it mean, chakra was already foreign, already different. And hell I'm a reincarnation and then you bring in the fact that Kaguya was stated to be an extra-terrestrial...

My eyes dart away from the moon and instead look down at my hands. I spread them out and then curl them back up.

It doesn't matter.

It shouldn't matter.

Yet it still makes me feel weird. Reminds me that no matter how much the world has forgotten it's still likely incredibly important. Important to know, important to never forget. My right hand clenches into a fist and I close my eyes gritting my teeth before opening them back up and glaring at the moon. No matter what happens my path is already well on the way to being set. I don't think that I'll ever share canon Obito's dream of being Hokage.

But I will be a defender and hero of the village. I'll never be a traitor, and I'm sure...

"Shi-shiiou Kage!" I'll make sure that Kushina gets the chance to achieve what was once her dream in the prime timeline. There's no way that I'm not going to push for it. And under the moonlight this is where my resolve for those goals firms up. With the wind brushing across my skin and tossing my hair around. With the tree shielding me and ripples spreading out through the sand that rests under the rock garden. "pro-miss!" I growl barring my teeth into a grin before standing up bare feet curling a bit in the moist ground.

I pause for a moment before moving when I think that I see something and turn my head to see if I can actually determine what it is. All is still and I narrow my eyes is that the faintest glimmer of gold. I blink and the area is completely clear. I frown and tilt my head before turning and quickly make my way back into the house.

For some reason, I feel just a little bit less safe in the yard than I was mere moments ago.

* * *

A few days later I find myself staring rather blankly at the rather painfully familiar orange goggles that my Okaasan is holding out to me. Orange, with ear covers and I feel a familiar tightening in my chest and throat. I slowly rise my head up and look up into my Okaasan's face.

I don't quite know what to do here.

Should I accept them, reject them. They mean so much just because of what they instantly bring to my mind. And yet, they're such an central part to who Obito is. They're signature. And slowly, slowly I reach out and curl a hand over them. They're cool, and comfortable in my grasp. And something in me actually sings as I carefully tug them on and slip the covers over my ears. I don't know if it's a step in the right direction or not but some part of me is singing and dancing and they make me feel more whole than I was before.

I blink and then my mouth spreads into a grin and I wrap my arms around my Okaasan. I close my eyes and tuck my head against her chest and hum happily. I can feel it as Okaasan's hands come up and gently stroke my hair. I blink my eyes back open and peer up at her my smile half hidden due to the position that I'm in.

I'm actually glad that I accepted the goggles.

It's a huge step really, but the main reason I'm so happy. Okaasan looks so happy, and relieved. So does Otousan from where he's standing in the doorway. That relief makes me frown and I bring my hands up to try and ask about it.

"Why relief? Something wrong?" I look from Okaasan to Otousan and it takes them both only moments to sigh. Something is wrong and I frown my nose scrunching a bit in distaste. I don't like it when something is wrong. Especially because most times adults just don't tell their children about the situation. The simple fact is it's about trust and communication. Explaining the reason for a rule will actually help to motivate you to follow the rule after all. "What wrong? Know to avoid..." maybe a touch awkward, but they understand my meaning.

"There's a shadow following the clan. Stirring up old prejudices. Trying to destroy the clan from the inside." this sounds familiar and I frown wrinkling my nose and struggling to link it together. "So we decided to take precautions..." Otousan trails off and he actually coughs a bit and looks away.

"We've had these finished for a while." Okaasan continues gently tapping the rim of my goggles and I frown. "There are protective seals etched into the straps, and in case we were to die, we had left them with Netsu's Okaasan. Hana, your Obaachan." she explains and slowly something seems to make sense in my mind.

A present left by missing parents.

A shadow following the clan.

Kuro?

"Kuro... nima?" maybe I should have tried to sign that I actually grimace at how childish that sounds. I was trying to say nightmare, but it just didn't work. Yet in a way that makes too much sense, parents are perceptive like that, and I always wondered about Obito's status as an orphan... among other things. No proof, nothing solid, but it all seemed convenient. But then again, what in a story isn't when the author is making it up as they go?

Yet considering how my parents are...

It feels too planned having this inside perspective. Especially since they're still here.

"Maybe sweetie. Maybe." Okaasan says brushing my hair away from my forehead and gently kissing it. I laugh lightly at the affectionate gesture before sitting back, closing my eyes and tilting my head with a smile. "Now go on, don't you have another mission today?" she asks and my expression immediately goes from a happy smile to a grimace. Yes we do, and it's another sewer duty mission.

I still get up and cheerfully wave to my parents before strolling out. It's easy enough to find Kakashi and happily wave to him. He actually rolls his eyes and I poke my tongue out at him for it before fiddling with the side of my goggles automatically adjusting them much like I once did with my glasses a lifetime ago. It's such a familiar automatic action that I can feel the way that Kakashi just stops and stares at me for a handful of seconds.

"Eh?" I blink and look at him with confusion and he simply shakes his head before continuing on. I frown scrunch up my nose and finally shake it off and simply follow after him. It's probably best that I don't wonder what's going through his head. It's Kakashi's head after all and it's private.

Thoughts are private.

Emotions are private...

Maybe that's why Ninshu fell apart. People probably got a bit twitchy sharing everything with those around them... But then again, with Ninshu there would have had to have been some kind of limiter. Some kind of point where they could keep some things to themselves... If only the art hadn't been more or less completely lost. Still something to think and wonder about I suppose. Lack of privacy for thoughts and feelings aside there are other reasons that it could have fallen apart.

Then again, I still have some issues with how inherently intimate the concept of ninshu is. Mixing chakra, trusting someone enough to even think of doing that. Considering the culture of my original life, and then tossing me into this society built on paranoia. Ninshu is kind of a hardball concept.

I have some ideas, some theories for what we could do with it. Ranging from telepathy to communication with animals, connecting to them. But still.

The problem is trust, outside of my immediate circle. And even in that circle, I can't really think of anyone who I would honestly trust with that much knowledge about who I am. What I'm made of and my inner most thoughts and feelings. I'm still only barely adjusted to the world itself. I don't think that I truly accepted my identity as Obito until the first two weeks after graduation after all.

I shake my head vigorously as we spot Kushina-shishou and Rin-chan ahead of us. My expression shifts into a wide grin and I run forwards to greet them both happily. I may not be the happiest with the mission. With being stuck doing sewer duty but at the same time. Spending time with my team is the greatest feeling ever. Especially because I'm finally accepting the world, I'm finally moving past all the guilt and stuff.

Mostly, but being with my team is still the greatest feeling ever. Rin still kind of unsettles me with her understanding and kindness. But she's still my team mate. Kakashi is as Kakashi as ever and Kushina-shishou is one of the craziest teachers that they could have given us, but that's what makes her the best one for us. It's so hard to explain, but it feels just as good as being with my parents when I'm with my team... they're family.

Team is family.

So I find myself grinning and kind of bouncing in place much to the amusement of the rest of the team. As much as I hate the D-Rank missions that we go on. I love the time that we spend together training and even I guess doing the missions. As annoying as the missions are. Sewer duty, dog walking... if there were such a thing as cars here I'm sure that would be one of them. Seriously, menial trivial tasks.

Yet we still do them.

And we get paid a fair bit for them as well. Or the village does. The way that it really works reminds me a fair bit of the mission system in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon honestly. When you're working with the guild. The actual pay of a mission could be quite high, for example D-Ranks run the gauntlet of being from five-thousand and fifty-thousand ryō. Most of that would go straight into the village treasury and upkeep though. We'd only get a small fraction of it. Around five-hundred ryō to split between us for a five-thousand ryō mission and five-thousand ryō to split for a fifty-thousand mission.

It might seem a bit unfair, but to me... To someone who's already used to such a division of money and pay... I don't see the problem. Besides the village likely needs that money, supporting the academy, rebuilding destroyed training grounds, getting new supplies in. It seems fair to me. Besides one-twenty-five ryō for a low paying mission is decent pocket money. More than the seven to ten dollars a week I was getting in my previous life due to chores. Besides it's not like we're doing only one mission a day, sometimes we are able to do three or four. It depends.

It evens out, it averages. Maybe it seems a little bit off considering we're doing all the work but I kind of see it like I saw taxes... A justified unfairness.

I don't know.

Taxes were annoying, at least this way we don't have to really put aside the money to give back later because it's already taken away to be used for the village upkeep. Among other things... I think that some of it actually might go to the Daimyo honestly. Also if people really want some extra money, it's not as if D-Ranks can't be done solo.

So I don't mind the pay. We get enough, it's enough for the stuff that we need. Besides it's not as if most Genin live alone, and Orphans do still get some extra from the Hokage until they reach Chunin rank at least.

I don't mind. Besides D-Ranks are for team building at this point in time. And to keep us within the village. To familiarize ourselves with the civilians and to teach us how missions work. They have there place, and that place is why I'm fine with them even as annoying as they are.

Besides I think that it's mainly for the getting to know how it works, and the civilians. We need to appear harmless before we become dangerous and monstrous after all. We need to play nice for the civilians. Although it's when you pass by two S-Rank Jonin of the village doing some weeding for a civilian that you start to question how monstrous even the worst of shinobi are.

Although I'm pretty sure that our whole team is in agreement by this point that we've had enough of the Sewer Duty missions. Not only does it stink doing them, but they always leave us with the need to actually have a bath. Since the smell clings to your clothing and skin. But still, here and now I open my eyes back up and look at my team. From Kakashi, to Rin, to Kushina-shishou. This is my team.

My extended family.

"D-Rank?" I ask and I can hear Kushina snicker. It's easy enough to say the different mission rankings.

"Of course. But I got us a new one 'ttebane!" Kushina-shishou cheerfully says and we all look up at her surprised. That surprise quickly fades into eager anticipation. Something new sounds great. I clasp my hands together and look at her with such a hopeful look. Kakashi turns just that touch more to her and inclines his head, Rin leans forwards. "Don't look so excited 'ttebane. There's a temple that's requesting some help on the other side of the village. I volunteered our team 'ttebane!" A temple, I wonder which one.

"Repair? Clean, will we?" first time I've really signed to any of my team mates. I can feel the way that they're staring and then I add "Fire Temple?" it probably won't be the fire temple because there are other ones, but it's only proper to ask and wonder. I would have further asked if it were the Uzumaki Mask Storage Temple, but I don't think so...

"No Obito-chan, it's just one of the smaller temples 'ttebane" Kushina-shishou says before turning around. "Now come on, they're expecting us!"

I nod my head, but I still kind of hesitate. Honestly, there's not much about the temples and shrines that are mentioned in Canon, or in the fandom. So I'm hesitant in a way to follow the rest of my team. Because both temples and shrines are inherently tied to the more supernatural aspects of the world. To the Yokai and spirits... To the unseen.

I take a deep breath and follow after them though. It will be interesting I guess to see what the temple needs our help with I guess and to learn more about this side of the world. I've always been interested in culture. In mythology, legends and religion.

Hesitant I may be, but always interested and eager.

"Obito-chan come on!" Kushina says smiling at me, Kakashi and Rin are both looking back at me and I laugh a bit nervously closing my eyes behind my goggles and smiling sheepishly. I didn't mean to just stop.

"Sorry... thinking about stuff." I signed honestly, there's no reason to lie after all.

"Well don't get too lost in that head of yours Obito-chan 'ttebane!" Kushina-shishou laughs and I blink and have to laugh for myself because who's she kidding. I'm not the only one who gets lost in my own head. Maybe she doesn't do it often but I have seen her do it, alongside Kakashi, though Rin hasn't been here for one of those moments yet.

"Hai!" I say with a mock salute and once more we all laugh lightly.

I'm still nervous though as we make our way through Konohagakure. As we make our way towards the temple. I'm not really fond of going to places with a high spiritual connection though. It's probably why I've yet to actually visit the Naka Shrine despite it seeming pretty important. I lower my head as I follow my team, mind drifting and wondering.

What's going to await us there?

I don't think that it's going to be as simple as just helping out. Not at all. A temple, a shrine it's a place for worship. A place for tradition. Maybe we'll be partaking in tradition. Something twists within me at that thought and I can feel it as my fists faintly clench. It's not comforting. I don't really know why, but I just don't feel as though I would be able to fit in if we were to do so.

I raise my head and straighten a bit. Feet moving faster as I move to catch up with my team. We're not even half way yet. There's plenty of time to think, to wonder. And Kushina-shishou seems to be in no hurry to get us there quickly.

I raise a hand up and adjust my new goggles again.

Seeing the world with a tint of orange. Orange... It's a communicative colour. Bright, uplifting, hope and optimism. Emotional as well, that's what orange is. It's a good colour, but at the same time to every positive there is a negative.

 _Obito and Naruto..._ They're two sides of the orange coin in canon. They both showed the colour, at it's best and at it's worst, each at different points but they did both show the colour in both perspectives.

I shake my head and bounce forwards to land and walk beside Kakashi. He gives me a brief sideways glance before returning to looking forwards. I take a deep breath, because even I show orange traits. A mixture of the positive and negative. And now, now I don't know. Because here and now if my parents words were honest and true, which I'm sure that they were then it's also a protective colour.

Well... Orange is kind of a shade of brown I guess... In a way, I mean it can be darkened down to brown...

Brown is a colour that means security and protection after all. Now all I have to do is trust. Understand. Kakashi stops and I look up one last time.

It seems that we've reached the temple then. Time to find out our mission.


	15. Nōchi Temple: So Sings the Temple Chime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet Hatake Manga(Harrow). Also, around two thirds of the way through this chapter, I kind of realized that this is enough to represent a new arc. For reference to the timeline it's currently May... which means only a month and then Itachi.

The first thing that I'll say about the temple is that it's huge. At a simple glance it's kind of hard to take in, and it's enough to take my breath away. The gates stand well overhead and it's rather humbling actually to look up at them. A smiling man is the next person I see, although I do wonder about the symbol marked on the gates. Especially because I notice that Kakashi stiffens and his eyes go very, very wide at the sight of it.

I look up at it, a diamond pattern, interlocking small diamonds to make one big one... It seems familiar to me for some reason.

Huh... Is it the same symbol on the back of Kakashi's pajamas? Also, thinking about it... I think that the symbol is elsewhere around the Hatake Compound as well. All the windows seem to have it built in and I'm sure that there's a few areas with it painted on the wall. So it must be pretty important then. Or at least important in the way that it's recognizable as related to the Hatake in some way.

So why's it here?

I look over at Kakashi wondering if I should ask him. But he's too busy looking around. He looks like he doesn't know what to think of this place honestly, and maybe a bit scared.

I don't really understand why. Is it only because of the symbol up on the gate? Or is there something else that's putting him off balance? I don't know, and I'm not sure whether or not I should really try to understand. Because maybe if I understand then I will also be put off balance and scared. Then again, I'm already kind of scared.

I mean it's probably illogical, but I am. I don't quite know how I'm supposed to act around here. So I close my eyes and clench my hands taking a deep breath and then opening them back up and looking up at the symbol one last time before looking over at Kakashi. We can be unsettled together I guess. Yet I still reach out to him and gently tug him through the gate.

Instantly it's like plunging under a spray of freezing cold water and I gasp shivering at the strange sensation. I don't know what caused it but it made me tremble and shake before catching hold of myself and shaking my head from the left to the right. Kakashi's looking at me startled and I blink taking a deep breath and then confused I bring my hands up and sort of stare at them. There's no pain. Not even the familiar faint buzz.

"Eh..." I experimentally curl and uncurl them. Still nothing. I take a deep breath and decide to firmly push the weirdness of that out of my mind and instead follow Kakashi up and to the actual building. Both Rin and Kushina-shishou are already there. Waiting patiently for us. Which is not all that unusual now that I think about it.

I tend to arrive to things alongside Kakashi. Since we live more or less in the same area.

And in this case we both had things that put us off.

It's something to consider. I swallow and look up at our Sensei, my Shishou. And then I look at Rin and I find myself smiling.

It's nice to be without any pain for once. And now we just need to find out what our mission is. To meet whoever it is who needs our help here. "Shi-shiiou?" I ask blinking up and Kushina-shishou who smiles and laughs happily before carefully leading us inside. It's dark, almost pitch black within and for a handful of seconds I'm sure that we're all alone and then as though on cue candles swish into life. In pairs all the way down a long hall where columns stand around us silent spectators.

It feels wrong to disrupt the silence as we walk. I feel as though we're been watched and my eyes drift from one side to the other, I can see faces in the flickering orange glow, in the distant darkness. They don't look like the faces of people though, more vicious and ferocious. Like ancient warrior masks, or Oni Masks. Or even stone monsters to stand guard, I don't know. It's strange though.

I feel like we're been judged.

Finally we reach the end of the corridor and Kushina-shishou indicates that we should wait. So we wait. In the eerie light given by the candles. Surprisingly of us it's Kakashi who slinks the closest to us as though hiding. Shielding himself from something.

There's a creak and groan from the doors in front of us as they open. I can smell dust and I have to cough a bit as darkness stretches out. I can hear a howling wind and feel it as it rushes over us and we're plunged into darkness. Maybe this is some kind of test... There's something in the air though. And I can feel something else with us.

We're definitely been judged by someone or something.

I take a deep breath and straighten up. Closing my eyes in the darkness and stretching out with my senses. Whatever, or whoever is here is right in front of me. They feel cold, like ice. Or a howling wind in a storm. The kind of cold that chills you right down, I take another breath and allow myself to feel it and then it flickers and disappears from my senses. Instead there's now a warmth and I open my eyes back up to find that we've changed locations.

We're all sitting with our legs beneath us in seiza, on soft mats and with a small table in front of us. There's an open sliding door to my left that opens out to what has to be a Zen Garden. Sand raked in patterns, rocks, a Sakura Tree it's in bloom. There's a small stream that winds through the garden as well, circling around and making it appear all the more peaceful.

What happened?

When did we get here?

I wipe one hand over my cheek and rub confused before peering around just that little bit more. Everyone's looking at me. Kushina-shishou seems unbothered, Rin looks a touch worried and Kakashi confused.

"I haven't seen anyone react like that before!" This voice is new and I turn my head to the other sliding paper door. The first thing that I notice about the boy there in the doorway is his hair, it's even poofier than Kakashi's more wild as well. As in seriously anime wild, I don't know how it's able to stand up the way that it is. Also, like Kakashi's it's silver. The second thing I notice is that he has the same dark eyes as Kakashi. Finally I notice his clothing... Green, a lot of green, and it vaguely gives me a Legend of Zelda Link feel.

Why does he remind me of Link?

Must be all the green.

"I mean we've had people who've fainted before, but no one who's-"

"Manga!" The boy jumps and then looks abashed stepping aside to let an elder man through and into the room. The man looks at each of us and then seems to nod his head. Coming to some sort of decision, he looks back at the silver haired boy and then barks a command. "Manga, go get our guests some tea!"

"Of course Ojiisan." the boy says and offers a smirk before he disappears as the older man scolds his retreating back.

"I told you already Manga, you're not supposed to refer to me as that! It's supposed to be Zenshi"

"Ya, Ya! Ojiisan"

The man sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose between his eyes before joining us around the small table and smiling. Kakashi looks at him and tilts his head from his place beside me while Kushina-shishou and Rin simply sit quietly. The silence while it lasts is actually rather peaceful and I find that my attention drifts towards the Sakura tree and I watch as some of the pink leaves(petals) are tugged free from where they attach to the branches and drift in the wind some landing on the water and sending forth ripples.

"Zenshi-san... Are you... Are you a member of the Hatake Clan?" Kakashi's question brings me back and I look over at him bewildered just as the other boy returns. Hearing the question the boy snorts putting down a cup of tea, I think that it's cherry...

"Ya! We're Hatakes alright!" he flashes a grin in Kakashi's direction and something about it makes me frown even as I lift the mug of tea up and gently blow on it ready to take a sip. "Hatake Manga at your service. And my Ojiisan Hatake Karite" the old man does not look impressed by his actions even as he slips down to join us all in the seiza with his own mug of tea.

He continues to grin as we fall back into silence. This time it's Kushina-shishou who breaks it.

"Gozenshi-sama what is the D-Rank mission that you requested 'ttebane?" That's right. We're here for a mission. The man smiles behind his mug before taking a sip his eyes sliding over our whole group. Somehow, I don't think that he's seeing what we are in terms of our appearance. It feels like he's looking a little bit further than that. I feel rather exposed really, so I look down at my lap and my hands.

"Just a small bit of assistance! The rest of the Clan, from outside of Konohagakure sent a missive a few weeks ago. The Hatake Clan are coming back for a visit." I blink and look back up and then over to Kakashi, he looks stiff. "In another month the Clan will be here. The temple needs to be ready, old tapestries recovered from storage and repaired, paintings set back into place and the spirits appeased." He sets down his mug with a solid thud. Slowly he looks at each member of our team and then stands up. "I am sure that you will do as requested, and in a timely fashion."

"Of course Gozenshi-sama!" Kushina-shishou says and he pauses before saying one last thing.

"The robes for you to wear to help appease the spirits are hung in the sliding wall over there. I would suggest you take care of them first." his eyes slide over to me. "We wouldn't wish to see them test your team a second time." and then he's gone. Manga though snorts from his position and stands up stretching lazily and then looking over to us.

"Don't worry about what Jiji says ya! He's just trying to unsettle you!" he cheerfully says and honestly I don't care. Even if that's all that the elder is doing, it's not right to just dismiss it. "But hey, if you need help at any point with the clean up give me a shout! Ja ne!" And then he's gone as well. It's like the whole room lightens in a way. But I'm still worried and I look over at Kakashi. I wasn't even aware that there were more members of the Hatake Clan.

Within Konohagakure Kakashi and Sakumo are the only ones.

Well aside from apparently these two. Unless there are even more members of the Clan hiding in the woodwork. That's actually a pretty scary thought honestly and I swallow before reaching out an arm ready to gently nudge Kakashi. To bring him back from where ever he's gone. Except before I can he abruptly stands and before any of us can react he's removed himself from the room completely.

All is silent and I'm left there with a single hand still raised ready to reach for him. I let it fall back to my lap and confusedly say only one thing.

"Kaa?"

"Don't worry Obito-chan!" I look over at Kushina-shishou who smiles brightly at me before reaching over and gently ruffling my hair. "He only needs to think about some things 'ttebane. He'll be back to normal in no time 'ttebane. Now let's get started!"

"Hai!"

I nod my head and slowly stand up. It's a good thing that we pretty much have finished the tea. We have pretty much finished. So the first thing that we should do is... I slide open the section of the wall and give a bland stare at the robes that hang there. They're white, which is fair enough. Purity, innocence, a new beginning and wiping the slate clean. It also represents balance, as does black... Black and white. I frown and hold them up and sort of out from my body.

I can also remember that it vaguely represents protection, peace, and efficiency. Unfortunately it also brings forth thoughts of detachment, isolation and sterility. At least though, the robe's belt is black. Black absorbs negative energy. Endings, more protection and comfort. Hiding, black indicates something hidden, simulating the fear of what may be lurking in the dark in a way.

I don't really want to wear either article of clothing though.

I mean they're probably here for a reason, but still. I am distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of wearing white robes like these ones. It just seems, wrong. I don't think that it would quite be right. It might be the symbolism in the colour of the robes, or who knows. I just don't feel comfortable with the idea of wearing them.

"Shi-shiiou!" I actually whine a bit lowering the robes down and looking over at both Kushina-sensei and Rin-chan. "Really needed?" I ask still frowning and paying careful attention to their reactions.

"Sorry Obito-chan!" Kushina-shishou says a rather odd look on her face as she holds up a set of the robes for herself. "Gozenshi-sama said that they were to help though 'ttebane. He also recommended that we begin with this 'ttebane!" she has a point as much as I hate to admit it and so I take a deep breath and then glare at the offending articles of clothing. I know that technically they're only robes but it just kind of grates on my nerves. It just annoys me. And honestly, I'm worried about Kakashi.

So I hesitate and then look at the robes, could I get away with simply pulling them on over top of my current outfit I wonder? Possibly. But at the same time, it is a full outfit and that would be rude, so instead I sigh and then politely leave the room with an extra set of the robes for Kakashi. My footsteps echo as I walk down the halls. It's strange, and eerie and makes my skin crawl a bit. As does the complete lack of pain in my body.

Some part of me distantly wonders that if I spoke would my words be heard?

I'm almost tempted to test, to see if I could speak here but something holds me back. Some part of me screams, says that if I do then people will demand that I give up my secrets. That I will be forced to open up. It's irrational but it holds my tongue and so I simply walk through the darkened halls of the temple looking for Kakashi.

It's a lot more terrifying that it should be, because I'm sure that there's something here that's just cut off everything. I can't feel my chakra. I can't properly stretch out my senses and the pain that's become my familiar constant companion is MIA. It's like walking through one of the old houses rebuilt in Old Gipstown actually. The ones that were jokingly stated to be haunted. And then feeling like there's something just a bit off. Something's there right beside you, walking with you and you just can't see or feel it.

That's what walking through this place is like.

Or you know, visiting a graveyard at night. Which is definitely not something that you should ever do. It's too eerie and feels like a major faux pass. Disrespectful and like breaking some unwritten rule. So I'm more than a little bit relieved when I finally find Kakashi.

"Kakashi!" I shout and almost falter when I realize that I said his whole name. Yet I do falter when I notice what he's kneeling in front of... Is that an alter? I slow right down but keep walking, that much more aware of where we are all of a sudden. This is the very center of the temple. There are a lot of rows of stone carved seats facing the front where Kakashi is kneeling in front of a raised stone platform with four candles lit at the corners. And beyond that two stone statues of figures that I don't recognise stand witness, hands clasped together as though praying.

I'm not supposed to be here.

There's a deep seated sense of wrongness around me. A sense that I'm really not supposed to be here. I swallow and keep walking, even though I can hear whispers from phantom people. It's an itch, a scratch that won't go away. The closer I get to Kakashi the more that it crawls up my back and I almost want to just drop everything and run.

But I can't.

I can't. I refuse and swallow keeping my mouth in a determined straight line. Finally I reach the last row of seats and I can still hear the whispers. I can still feel the eyes and slowly, gently I reach out an arm towards Kakashi. It never reaches him as there's a howl and his head shoots up and I yelp stepping backwards a sharp pain shooting up from my feet and right through my legs and into my arms and head.

"Obito!" Kakashi's voice steadies me and I close one eye and shake my head before offering him a weak and wobbly smile. "Obito, are you okay?" I nod my head and then hold up the extra set of robes that I grabbed. He stares at me with a rather blank look in both his dark eyes before snorting and then abruptly bursting into laughter. "Only you... Only you Obito!" he says and then he looks past me and I can see the way that his eyes widen.

It's not just surprise though and so I turn just enough to see what he's looking at.

First, I'll admit that it's not what I was expecting. Of course I don't really know what I was expecting. But staring at the sea of white, pale flickering forms that now fill the stone seating I get the feeling that this situation is going to quickly go from bad to worse. None of the shiryō show any signs of how they died, and that's probably the only relief that I get from this situation. The fact that there's so many of them though...

Well at least I know where the feeling of eyes and hearing whispers comes from.

Kakashi's grip on my wrist is surprisingly tight and I wonder distantly if he's scared of ghosts... Honestly, even though I can see them. I'm not actually scared of them. Not truly, I mean seeing them is strange, and weird but it's not really scary. After all they're mostly incorporeal. They can't hurt us.

They can't touch us. Not really and I know that so I just sort of look out over them with a tilt of my head and then I smile. It probably drives home the fact that I am an incredibly strange child. I mean come on, who else would react to a literal sea of spirits like that?

Then again, I don't have time to get used to feeling as there's a scraping sound and automatically we both duck. Just barely in time, I'm not quite sure what it is that goes flying but I am sure that neither of us really want to get hit by any of the items that are going flying. And then the sound starts up, a cacophony of wails, shrieks and cries that make my head pound and vision blur. My ears ring and I can feel Kakashi's grip like steel as he drags me right down the hall between the seating and out into the hall.

It's pitch black, and Kakashi's grip gets even tighter. I've never really known Kakashi to be scared. Not really, but this situation is the kind of one that you don't really get used to. Not if you're normal anyway. Distantly I think that I can hear a bell and suddenly our roles are swapped. I'm leading Kakashi down the dark covered path my eyes still closed but my ears open.

I can feel, there are still eyes on us. They're still watching us but we're no longer where they can cause chaos and draw our attention.

Amazingly the whole time I've managed to hold onto the robes. Except by the time we exit the dark hall into a more well lit one, even if only by candles they're stained red. Or crimson really and I wrinkle my nose at the smell as Kakashi gives them what can only be described as a look of horror. I'm just disgusted because that's not even scary, it's just gross... Or well it is to me.

And then there's a crashing sound and I get the feeling that we really shouldn't be standing around. So once more our positions are reversed as I grab Kakashi by the wrist and drag him down the hall dropping the robes on the floor and simply running. The light of the candles flickers and I don't have to look behind us to know that each row of them are being snuffed out as we pass them. As we run further and further down the hall.

I don't have to look. It's not important to look. So we just keep running and I try to ignore the mounting pain in my head. And in my feet something about this situation is just off. As it is, running like this, my theory is proven... My other feeling about this place. We're cut off, no chakra. I'm suddenly that much more glad that Kakashi decided to mimic me with the chakra de-enhancement training.

And something in me twists because Kushina-shishou... Rin-chan. Neither of them have really trained in this way. I mean Kakashi did start to teach Rin how to do it, over the course of our previous D-Ranks, but she's not familiar with it. As for Kushina-shishou... It was a bit late for her to really benefit that much from it... She has been making an effort though...

But neither of them would be able to utilize it the way that we can.

"Kakashi!" I mumble and momentarily release him quickly moving my hands in the small amount of sign language that I'm comfortable using. "Kushina-shishou. Rin-chan... Not as familiar. Trouble!"

I only barely catch his nod before grabbing for his hand again. He grips mine and I smile. Feet pound and our steps echo around us as we run even faster. I soon recognise the halls that I had initially followed to try and find him and brighten up a bit as we reach the sliding door where I remember Kushina-shishou and Rin-chan still being. Pushing it open I'm surprised to see them both still there.

And unconscious on the floor staring up at the roof is another familiar face.

Hatake Manga.


	16. Nōchi Temple: Shi Kara Kodomo-tachi

For a handful of seconds I'm not quite sure if any of us are really breathing. Manga remains still on the floor and eventually I let out my breath and then tilt my head back to peer at the hole in the ceiling. There's nothing to indicate why, or how the twelve year old could have fallen through it. Absolutely nothing, this is ridiculous. First with the shiryō, then the crimson soaked robes and now with this, what's going on here? Is there some sort of curse on this temple that we weren't told about?

Actually those thoughts and questions are really bad. Just asking for reality to turn around and prove them right. So I shiver and I shake my head rubbing my arms unsure as Kakashi proceeds to nudge the unconscious Hatake with the toe of his ninja sandal. Kushina-shishou looks seconds away from bursting into laughter and Rin-chan looks faintly uncomfortable. Honestly the expression on her face makes me worried and I slip around the scene in the center of the room to check up on her.

"Rin-chan?" I ask and momentarily frown when as everything else I've said here it comes out with less trouble than usual. Not that I really have that much trouble with Rin's name, it's kind of simple like that. Like Gai's. "Okay?" I raise and hand and then she suddenly screams and I scramble because there was zero warning and I don't know what's triggered it. So I startle and hide, or at least that's the plan. Kind of, it's an automatic response which is completely halted when something wet and sticky drops on top of me in the sliding closet that I had chosen as my hiding place.

A gulp and I slowly allow my eyes to peer upwards into the dark. Allow my head to tilt up and back, and yeah no there's no way I'm staying in here.

"YOKAI! ONRYŌ!"

Not something that you ever want to find floating above your head. Also blood in your hair, as faded and spectral as it is. Definitely not an experience that anyone wants to experience. Kakashi jumps, Rin's managed to tear the robes most off her, or enough off that she's kind of half-dressed. Kushina-shishou looks up with a frown and Manga seems to be stirring from his position on the floor. He groans but I ignore him skittering around and hiding behind Kakashi. Plain shiryō I can deal with, an onryō though? Yeah there's no way.

"Ugh... My head..." Manga mutters sitting up as Rin gasps and Kushina-shishou grabs her to pull her out of range of the woman emerging from the closet. Long messy tangled black hair, pale blue-ish skin, marks around the throat that would suggest strangulation, but more telling is the gaping hole that almost bisects her torso and drips blood down onto the tatami floor. Gaping empty sockets for eyes, and wow... I'd rather be facing Kuchisake-onna alone in an alley somewhere than an unknown onryō like this. "Oh... Shikyo is here... SHIKYO!" Manga's double take in any other situation might have been amusing, as it is though I can't find any humor in it.

"I hate to ask... but what exactly is that?" Kakashi asks and currently I'm not entirely sure which of us is hiding behind the other. I began hiding behind him, and then we swapped for a bit, a couple of times and now we're both kind of huddling back.

"Onryō!" Is my simple answer to the question though even as she looks over all of us and her mouth stretches into a grin that practically screams that we're doomed.

"Okay... and uh... what's an Onryō?" I think that in the silence that follows Kakashi's follow up question you could hear a pin drop. If only due to the sheer disbelief that we're all sharing in those moments. Even the onryō in front of us(Shikyo or something) seems to just stop momentarily in disbelief.

And then the moment's broken as she shrieks and no one needs a cue to flee. I don't know when we split up it just kind of happens. One moment we're all together the next split in four(well five if you count Manga) different directions. I duck under, around and even through obstacles placed in front of me trying to ignore the harsh noise that follows me. Eventually I skid to a stop in front of two discarded sets of still red stained robes.

The robes that we'd dropped earlier. The smell is enough to make me cough and gag and I actually press my back against the wall to inch past them. Only to find myself in a completely dark hall. It's enough to make me freeze and consider backing right back out of it. Of course, I'm not like that. I refuse to back away from a challenge. The dark doesn't scare me, so instead I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I listen to and feel the pulse of my heartbeat, the flow of my blood and I can hear the echoes around me.

It's easy.

Keeping my eyes closed I soon exit the other end of the hall into the room where I had initially found Kakashi. Looking at all the empty seating I still get the feeling that this is one place that I really shouldn't be. But this time instead of Kakashi being the one kneeling at the raised platform it's the elder. Karite or something like that... Hatake Karite, the zenshi of this place. I look around and slowly walk past the rows of seating. Almost instantly the whispering starts. The judging and I take deep breaths every step.

I don't instantly walk right up to the elder though, instead I pause and instead look up at the two statues. Who do they represent? I want to ask, because I'm curious but at the same time I don't know.

"Curious aren't you?" I almost jump and snap to attention when I hear the man speak. "Come on then child. It's alright none of them will harm you!" he motions and I look around before slowly moving to join him kneeling by the alter. It's strange really and I look up at the two statues. And then I look at him, his hands are clasped, his head is bowed and his mouth is moving but there is no sound coming out of it.

Something in me wants to try, so I mimic his posture as best I can. Seiza, legs tucked and head bowed. Hands automatically clasping, and it's like a bolt of lightning has gone off beside me. For a moment it's an overload until it calms and now I'm in a blank and rather empty area. The alter is still there, with the candles flickering but there's nothing else here. The old man's gone to. Karite-zenshi is gone and I gulp unclasping my hands and looking around in confusion.

What is this place.

There's a growl from behind me and I jump spinning around. A fox? No, this one has more than a single tail... so a kitsune then. It growls again and then makes a strange barking sound and gets up it's tails sweeping out and it nods it's head at me and then moves. Pausing as if to say follow me. I take a deep breath and then step down and follow it. It's surprisingly easy to keep up with the fox as we traverse the expanse and eventually the white gives way to soft green grass and a Sakura Tree blossoms with a rope swing hanging from it. A small peaceful garden with a stream and a small gazebo... at least I think it's a gazebo anyway.

It doesn't really matter because now the kitsune's gone and I'm left here. As nice as the place looks I don't understand why I'm here. Why I've been lead here and then left. So I sort of meander around the garden and then finally walk up the white stone steps to rest within the gazebo. It really is nice, rounded with seats to settle on and white pillars holding up the roof, modeled with a fence to keep it contained. And yet the vines that wind and snake their way over the white are the most eye catching thing about it. And the roof, with the hanging wind chimes.

I reach up to one of the glass chimes curious only for my hand to get caught before it even get's close.

I'll be honest I jumped a bit before whipping my head around to stare at the orange haired stranger in a dark forest green kimono with a bamboo pattern on it. Who is this person? Where did they come from and why didn't I hear them before they were just there. My eyes dart a bit, taking in there whole appearance. Barefoot, with a decorated kimono, hair done up with two sticks with bells attached. I know that has a name, but for the life of me I can't remember it.

" **It's a pleasure to finally meet one of the Shi kara Kodomo-tachi! Although, I would recommend that you not touch any of the items that you see here!"** they say lowering my arm for me before releasing it. **"Come now... would you like some tea?"** I blink and then rubbing the back of my head a little bit off balance by the situation I offer a small smile.

"Hai..." tea sounds nice. Or at least more normal than whatever this is... I don't know. I'm probably not really thinking that far ahead at the moment. They nod and a fox uncurls itself from underneath on of the seats, it's fur white like snow as it walks off and then comes back with two steaming cups of tea balancing on a plate on it's head. I honestly don't know how to react to that as I carefully curl my hands around the cup and then hold it in my hands.

Simply bask in the warmth for a period before raising it up to my lips gently blowing and then taking a sip of the blend. It's not familiar to me... but it's definitely nice. With a slight bite at the end. Also I think that I can taste almonds... it's weird.

I've never really been fond of nuts. Barring cashews anyway. Never really knew why either, even in this new life I'm not the fondest of them...

" **I'm sure you're wondering why you've been brought here. And who I am!"** I look up at the stranger again and absently note the pink petals that flow on the breeze between us. **"My name, is Inari!"** I'm so glad that I didn't have any of my tea in my mouth when they said that. Inari, as in the fox god/goddess/celestial? **"Yes, I'm that Inari."** they say and I actually feel my hands twitch, tightening momentarily around the cup in my hands. **"And you... are one of the Shi kara Kodomo-tachi. The other Shi kara Kodomo-tachi are currently out of our reach. Most of them, across all timelines and dimensions rarely interact with our realm. When they do well... That's between them and us."** So why the hell are you telling me then... also Shi kara Kodomo-tachi, that roughly translates to Children from Death right?

Does that mean that I did die after all to get here? That's depressing. Or disheartening really, I didn't want to know that I died. I would have rathered continuing on in this life oblivious debating with myself whether or not this is a split off. With only part of me here... Or something like that anyway.

" **Anyway, I decided to contact you because I was bored..."** No one ever wants to hear those words directed towards them. Especially when they're coming from a celestial being. **"Anyway, so you're a Shi kara Kodomo... I can't say that I'm impressed. You seem just like all the other ningenteki on the planet. There's nothing special about you... Other than the fact that you have a few extra memories of another life... That's boring."**

Well what did they expect? A prophesied child who would save the world? Like Naruto, who actually hasn't been born yet. Even aside from that the prophecy was rather vague. I mean one of Jiraiya's students, who would bring about a revolution, either for the world's salvation or it's destruction...

Hmm, actually thinking about it like this the prophecy is a lot more ominous than it ever was in the series. Add in the whole chosen one debate in other contexts and you get it rather twisted around. I mean seriously, as much as I accepted that twist in the series, the whole prophecy there are details that bring into question how valid Naruto's position as the Chosen One was. Also, I have a big twitch with the chosen one always having to be the hero. Add in how much Obito's actions in canon influenced the world and gave Naruto his chance and it ultimately falls to interpretation.

Everything falls to interpretation.

I mean that honestly. Even this situation, how do I know that I'm not dreaming? As far as I care this might as well be a dream actually. It's a bit closer to the weirdness that you find in one rather than anything that matches with reality after all. And then the so called Inari speaks and I jump straighting up because that catches my attention.

" **Invenies sub tegumento tuae tenebrae. Cum hoste Kuro derelicta anima erit vita tua, et custos. Obito credas Tobi ille te videre verum et falsum tegitur pacem originali mundo relicta est prophetia."** It's Latin, mangled like all Latin is when people try to speak it, but honestly that's so annoying. And then they shake their head and with their eyes glowing in a way that reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender they speak even more mangled Latin **"A morte dira fugit amplexus puerum posuitque quietis futurae mutare vetustas. Iterumque ad tarda reverti in Biju et pacem cum venerit in tribus shards. Via ad spem pacis, desperant desolationem. Arguet mundum tantum fata: Subnigris capillis, oculis nigris, splendor animae."**

Okay that's really not fair. Especially since I will probably write it down and then spend a good few months trying to translate whatever they said. Although I did understand at least a small part of it. The _Obito credas Tobi_ part. I'm pretty sure that means I'm supposed to trust Tobi. Although how when I don't know anyone named Tobi is going to be a question that probably won't get an answer until it's smacking me right in the face. Also, I understood the terms Biju and Kuro... one who is a being from before time and the other well... The Biju are well known.

Aside from that this whole thing is annoying, why couldn't I just keep being some poor hopeless sap who simply fell into a world that they don't belong in?

Actually I probably shouldn't want those things because then reality will find some way to make sure that we're really helpless when disaster truly strikes. Or you know, reality will find a way to turn it on it's head and make me regret wanting to be nothing more than a victim of circumstance. Then again, everyone has shades of that if you honestly follow reality that much. Just as everyone is the hero of their own story... Logic like that might explain why I liked canon Obito more than Naruto... eh.

Then again, I always kind of sympathized with him, understood. Also I knew myself and I knew that looking from another perspective at my own life and past there were several moments where the power of words could have seriously turned me into someone worse than just a teenager who spent around 50% of their life sleeping it away to escape pain, another 15% was spent on the computer writing and the rest existing...

Few bonds, few friends, someone really important dying, a rather unstable mental state... In reality had someone approached me with the right words well... heh. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And words really do have power even without fuinjutsu.

Why the hell am I thinking about this now? I shake my head rapidly much to Inari's amusement and then they say something that I really aren't expecting.

" **Now I see why Shinigami-chan picked you..."** What? I blink and stare at them. **"What, you think rebirth is random? Nah... It's mostly our decisions, or you know... Hagoromo, or other influential almost Gods/Goddesses/Celestials in the various realities. Sometimes it's accidental, or a decision made when inebriated but usually it's a conscious choice. And we all have to ask Shinigami-chan's permission before reincarnating a soul."** they shrug and then smooth out their kimono. **"Of course that doesn't cover all those being reborn after all, most of them are Shinigami-chan's own choices, though why they choose the ones they do is anyone's guess. Which is why there are so many Shi kara Kodomo-tachi... Though, not all of you really remember. At least not in the same timeline."** they smile at me and suddenly I feel that much more unsure about my position in this world.

Can I really call myself a thief if the Shinigami was likely behind my rebirth? No, I really can't and that realization is heavy. In another way really and I set now empty cup of tea beside me. Inari stands back up and they stretch out before a wind blows and my hair is tossed about. They hum and peer out over the empty white expanse before seemingly coming to a realization.

" **But hey, you don't have to worry about any of that stuff. What we're doing is our business. And I at least got to have a nice cup of tea with you... Do me a favour though little Shi kara Kodomo, visit my shrine after your mission! Also, live okay."** they tilt their head and then add **"Someone across the multiverse hollered this about your situation: '** _ **After a certain point you should get over it and accept it if you have a problem with the morality of it think of it like this The universe works in weird ways and if the universe reincarnated you as said person well that sucks for your morals but the universe Did it so obviously it's has no qualms with it'**_ **So maybe try to loosen up and live a bit more okay?"**

I actually laugh a bit at the way that Inari recites the message with this face that basically says that they don't understand the problem. I do, kind of, but it only took nine years. I'm better with the whole guilt thing now than I once was after all. Maybe not entirely perfect, not entirely over it, but I don't sweat about it that much anymore. I'm dealing with it. I've been dealing with it and I understand that I can't spend my whole life wondering about it.

"Will do!" I say with a small salute and Inari gives me a rather fox styled smile before snapping their fingers.

My eyes fly open and I'm surprised to see the alter right in front of me. Beside me, smiling is Karite-zenshi. It's as if nothing happened. The only sign that anything might have is the fact that the wax of the candles is lower now than it was before that rather strange experience that I just went through.

"You're back from your brief Tamashii no tankyū then." he says and I raise my head a bit to peer at him confused. He only smiles and then points up at the statues. "When you look at them what do you see, just stone or something else?"

I follow his arm and look from one to the other. Honestly, they are just stone. But they bare silent witness and in a way they feel like the judges of this place, but more importantly. And more significantly...

"Guardians... stand silent judge and protect!" I sign it a little bit awkwardly but Karite-zenshi nods his head before he frowns rather sternly at me.

"Can you name them?"

Could I name them? I looked up and frowned. That's a loaded question. I've never really been that good at keeping track of mythological figures. At keeping track of different ones aside from a few. People specifically from the bible... but those don't apply here, that's not important here though and I stick my tongue out a bit narrowing my eyes to try and figure it out.

"Tsukuyomi..." I point at the figure on the left and then moving my hand to the right I bring it back to sign the other "Amaterasu!"

"You're correct in that child. Amaterasu the Sun Goddess and Tsukuyomi the Moon God." He isn't smiling, but rather staring at the statues with a stern expression. "Also they're significant to your Clan in another way..."

"Man-ge-kyo!" I manage and he nods his head. I actually wonder how old he is, frowning and eyeing him a touch suspiciously. Of course I quickly decide to forget that because it doesn't really matter at this point in time. Unless he knows more than he's letting on, but I'm pretty sure that's a general rule of thumb for older people.

"Of course, that doesn't mean that other Clans don't have their own relations to such figures. I'm sure that you'll find out what significance they hold for both the Nohara and the Hatake in the future. After all, it's only proper to understand your team mates to the best of your ability right Uchiha-san!"

"Hai!" I nod my head and he stands up and then turns to face the stone seating. I also pick myself up and kick my legs a little bit to try and get feeling back into them. I've apparently been in the one position long enough that I've gotten a bit stiff.

"I do apologize for Shikyo though." I lift my head confused and stare at his back. "She's normally more peaceful... well as peaceful as an onryō can be. But something has disturbed all the spirits that reside in the Temple. I'm afraid that you're team will just have to deal with it." he looks back at me and there's something in his expression that I just can't quite place. But it puts me on guard, makes me feel as though there's something else in this whole situation that I'm missing. "When the mission is over, I guess I'll have to correct the ranking. Or just pay more." he shrugs and then walks down the hall between the seating and then out the door.

All the Shiryō gathered there are surprisingly silent while he does that. Silent and still looking up at me standing there. It's strange, and I simply stand there a single arm gripping my other one. I don't know how to react to this. I don't know how to react to whatever that was that just happened. Or any of this. Also yeah, our team has definitely set a record if he does up the mission's rating from D to C. Of course, I also have other stuff to meditate on, to think about.

Namely the Latin spoken words that Inari said to me. Even if that might have simply been a dream sequence of some kind. Also the title of Shi kara Kodomo, a Child from Death. That's also pretty important. Very important stuff to think about. I take a deep breath and close my eyes a smile spreading over my face, and then I open my eyes. That smile instantly disappears because in front of me is Shikyo. Not something that you really want to happen between one blink and the next. Also the candles are out and all the other shiryō are just missing. Gone and absent from the room.

I look left and then right and then up and right at the onryō.

Well this is going to be fun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The message that Inari gives is based off one of the reviews I got. It entertained me enough that I wanted to have Obito to hear it as well. So why not.


	17. Nōchi Temple: Yokai and Ancient Kashiri

You know if someone had asked me what I expected to happen on this mission I would have said something simple. Like maybe a disagreement between us and our employer or trouble cleaning up, perhaps even something about us breaking something instead of fixing it.

Not once would the thought of encountering an onryō or any other kind of yokai have crossed my mind.

It's just not something that really happens. I mean sure you get the occasional wild story, or a hysterical civilian who's screaming something about a vengeful onryō, but it just doesn't normally happen. Maybe it's because we're at a temple then, I mean they are spiritual places and this one apparently hasn't been as well kept as it should have been. Or something like that anyway. It's not really like it matters why this is happening honestly.

It's just happening. So we've got to deal with it. Which since I'm alone here and staring at Shikyo is a little bit of a problem.

I apparently just can't catch any breaks... Then again who really can. Life just kind of does that, it likes to throw curve balls and loop de loops at you. Flip things upside down and keep you off balance. If everything seems to be going smoothly it's either the calm before the storm or you're not paying enough attention to see what's wrong. Of course with the onryō right in front of me it's not exactly hard for me to tell what's wrong with this picture.

I mean, it's not like I really have to do much digging to understand that being alone, facing an onryō is basically asking for them to kill you... Or make you suffer. I mean seriously, they're not always death based.

More suffering really.

Bad luck and bad omens. Karma coming right back around to bite you like a viper.

Severals steps back as she moves forwards. Is there any way to even defend myself, and then I feel the grasp on my ankles. Automatically my head snaps down and there are hands there, I have all of a second to yelp as they abruptly tug. Nothing but air rushes past me and I squeeze my eyes shut not wanting to see the darkness of the ground. Gravity slams me hard onto the ground and I cough dust curling in the air and into my mouth. The force leaves me momentarily stunned and I roll over onto my back gasping and coughing to try and regain my bearings.

I don't think that was supposed to happen.

Closing my eyes I hiss before opening them again and slowly sitting up. Now where am I? It looks like a perfectly normal cavern at a glance but something feels just a touch off. I push my goggles up just barely under my hairline to rub at my face and my eyes before looking around again. I look up and stalactites bare down on me like teeth overhead. Curving down like fangs. Around me stalagmites climb up, and curve to match. It almost gives me the feeling of sitting in some ancient beasts mouth. I shiver and hug myself at the thought before sniffing.

What in the world is that smell?

Burnt, burning? Fire, what in the world?

I open my eyes and then tug my goggles back down and over them looking around. There is no clear way out... and now that I'm paying more attention, no clear way in. Whatever dragged me down here also seems to be absent. It's quite eerie. Definitely not the kind of situation that anyone typically wants to find themselves in.

Actually, I'm getting a kind of Silent Hill feeling from this whole situation. Face your inner demons and come to understand yourself better. Here are your deepest fears given physical form, welcome to your personal hell oh and don't trust the guy with a pyramid for a head... Or whoever it is stalking you. In this case... I'm guessing Shikyo would serve that purpose, unless there's another worse being here that we have yet to encounter.

Either way, I'm not amused. I am really not okay with this situation.

So I close my eyes once more, take a deep breath and simply listen. Nothing, just pure silence. In a cave below a temple you really don't want to hear absolutely nothing. Then again, you probably don't want to really hear anything either. It's pretty much pick your poison time.

My eyes snap back open and I move. It's at a fairly speedy pace, yet I falter when I hear footsteps that echo my own. I'm really feeling the Silent Hill here...

Honestly I just want to get back to my team, finish the mission and then never have to come back here ever again. Of course aside from the Silent Hill feeling there's a touch of an AoOni feeling, another kind of situation that you probably don't want to feel like you're in. Also, I don't know which of them is worse to feel. AoOni where you can't... okay you can't really fight back in either situation but still.

I swallow a bit and duck down deciding to maneuver on all fours. It's probably stupid but perhaps if I'm down lower whatever it is that's following me won't be able to see me quite as well.

At least it makes me feel a bit better and then out of nowhere Kakashi comes tumbling down and lands right on top of me. We both more or less make the same sound indicating the rush of air from our lungs. Not fun. At least now we know where the other is. We only need Rin and Kushina-shishou to drop in and join us now for the set to be complete. Honestly though, I'm trying to figure out how long we've been here...

Hmm, I think it was ten when we initially arrived, two hours settling in, another three or so spent running around... half an hour for my tamashii no tankyū... It's barely four in the afternoon. Already I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I think that I missed my nap. Again. An hour, from Noon to one...

Not good.

Especially because of the whole, rising fear and tension that this mission is really giving us. We're probably going to crash, and crash hard after another two or three hours of this. Not the best position to be in. Now I'm really getting an AoOni feel about this situation. If Rin's hiding in a closet somewhere that's it, I'm done. I never really could handle AoOni... I mean I would put Markiplier playing it on in the background sometimes but for myself... Yeah no.

Also please don't let us get caught up in some weird not-quite-timeloop, because those things are painful.

Seriously, painful, they screw up your sense of time almost as badly as depression does. Although at least with Depression it's more you think that it's Monday, and then suddenly tomorrow is Saturday. With not-quite-timeloops on the other hand it could be Sunday and then suddenly it's last Friday again... Either way both are kind of annoying and painful with the way that they mess with your head and sense of time...

Why am I thinking about this again?

"Obito?" Kakashi hisses my name and I blink before closing my eyes and offering him a forced grin. Of course maybe even that might have been too loud. The footsteps that had been echoing my own faltered before they picked up speed, and strength it would seem by the sound of them.

"Bad... Bad, very bad. Danger" I sign quickly and Kakashi raises his head to peer around for whatever is causing the footsteps. Whatever it is that he sees causes him to grab me by the arm. Yank and drag me quickly further down the tunnel. I barely have time to blink or react to that so I just kind of go along with it. If it's important enough for me to actually know what's following us I'm sure that I'll see it at some point. Although I really don't want to see it, yet I do because that way I won't suffer under the _Nothing is Scarier_ effect. Because I'll know what's after us...

Somehow I don't know which poison is worse really. Knowing what to be scared of, or allowing my imagination to create monsters from the shadows. I'm really glad that Kakashi is dragging me through the caverns really, otherwise I'm sure that I would do something so ridiculously stupid that would probably come back to bite the whole team. Or who knows. I'm just really glad that Kakashi is here. I think that my mental processing is dropping though. Whether from stress or just because I don't know. I'm not really an expert on the mind. I mean I know bits and pieces but seriously.

Hmm, wait a minute. I suddenly dig in my heels pull Kakashi off to the side ignoring the footsteps that go right past up and sift my hand through my pouch. Why's it so big inside these things? What kind of seals cause that... Ahh not that it's important right now. Where the hell did I tuck it away anyway?

I'm looking for one of the seals that I had inked up earlier. One of my weirder ones, but honestly which of them aren't weird? Okay that's the anti grav, that's the bubble seal? Huh, what was I thinking there? Electric shock, paralysis, numb, a handful of medical seals(didn't I hand those off to Rin yet?), my Roku Senya Shoukan, Ahh there it is, right at the bottom. A simple slip with a not so simple pattern. I honestly only vaguely remember what I was thinking when inking this. Something, something metaphysics with dimensions and space, spirits and I think rabbits? I don't know.

I have an idea of how it should work, the goal being intangibility... But uh...

Kakashi doesn't look impressed. To be fair I don't have any idea if it would even work, but it's got the outliers here. Bit of spacial temporal warping, the properties of a ghost... Although considering that I've now had the experience of being dragged through the floor I'm wavering more on 75% sure that I've gotten most of the details about it correct... Not quite sure enough to be able to tell that we won't get stuck half way through the wall... Maybe I should just wait to see if I ever get the Sharingan and then the Mangekyo with Kamui.

"Obito we are not going to test that here... It's too risky" I'm more than aware of that. But still, what use is keeping it stashed away with only the theoreticals... Oh wow, I think that I'm treading a bit close to dangerous thoughts there. Of course Kushina-shishou used to mention how most of the Uzumaki Clan when it came to testing their seals tended to do it in situations where testing really shouldn't be happening... How distantly am I related to the Uzumaki again? Maybe I could figure out how to create a self updating family tree somewhere... or maybe there's already one...

I'll have to ask.

"Obito whatever you're thinking stop!" Kakashi pokes me and I huff. "We can't chance it so put that..." He trails off and then swipes one of the discarded seals out of the pile(one of the sleep ones), winds it round and kunai and tosses it. The howl that follows makes me jump. Not that best sound to hear, at least it's easy to just sweep everything back into my pouch and follow Kakashi. To run away even with the thing still howling and now snarling and scrambling after us. Huh... note to self, the sleep seals don't work...

Maybe I need to write in something about sheep... or find a runic symbol to twist in as a balancer.

"Obito, focus more on running!"

"Hai!"

Right, right. More running less worrying about the reasons that my fuinjutsu might have failed. I can worry about the latter later anyway. It would probably be better off being worried about later as well. That's about when the ground decides to disappear, I barely have time to register Kakashi's yelp before my own joins him. Once more we're falling with the air whipping around us. I remember the rules about curling and protecting yourself to roll. Try to land on your feet... Which isn't much help when you hit water.

My mouth opens and the water rushes in and my eyes snap open. There's something else here, I can feel it in the water with us... Kakashi is much quicker in the water than I am... And I sort of spin for a bit before finally finding the right way up and taking a deep breath of musky air. Instantly I actually gag and want to disappear back under the water. Kakashi grabs me though and he tugs me over to the shore... It's a bed of bones. Stark white beneath our hands. I stare at them before rising my head to stare at the skulls and then up higher to try and find where we fell from.

Also I can still feel something in here with us. It's in the water, watching.

I shudder. Something about this is just wrong... How far beneath the temple are we now... Or did we trigger some kind of fuinjutsu defence... Who knows, for all we could tell it could be due to the Yokai that reside here themselves. My eyes close again and my arms wrap around my body. I really don't like this. Why couldn't it be simple, just a D-Rank... wait a second. My eyes snap back open and I sniff looking to the left and then the right.

"Sewer?" This is... this is part of the Sewer system. I can smell the familiar scent of waste, and sewage and how does one even describe a scent like that. Everyone knows it but how does one describe it... It's like saying that you can smell the mice... Smell them before you see them. Also cucumbers... Why is that- "Kappa!" As if on cue I see the smallest movement in the water and I drag Kakashi back and well away as a webbed green scaly hand breaks the surface.

That actually might explain where some of the bodies that we had been pulling out of the water ways came from. Not the greatest thought but still. Better than my initial suspicion that Danzo was behind them all.

Or you know... some unknown serial killer.

But still a Kappa. Wait... do they live in groupings, or solitary? I wrack my brain for an answer as Kakashi stares with a blank expression at the river child. At the latest Yokai to interrupt our mission. Or well... something like that. I honestly don't know how much luck we're going to have with this mission. Also here's the question, where's the area that we fell in? How are we supposed to get out, and also, who's idea was it to keep a Kappa in the sewers? Which Clan is stated to be crazy enough to come up with something like that... Come on. Wait... Do people even know that it's here? I might be jumping to conclusions actually.

Best not to worry about it.

What we should be worrying about is getting back to at least vaguely where we're supposed to be. You know... and sorting out the mission first. Freaking out can come later. Later once it's actually safe to do so...

"Cucumber?" I still ask Kakashi, he shakes his head and sends me one of the most confused looks I've seen thus far. Well that was at least worth a shot... Now let's see, I think that I saw something in my pouch earlier that we might be able to use. Nothing that would be 100% sure fire, but I have a good 85% confidence vote on this piece of fuinjutsu rather than the 75% on the intangibility seal... Now just to figure out how viable it would be to place it and seal away all this water... The kappa as well... Maybe I would need to alter the length of one line, but eh... As long as I place it right I am 85% sure that it will work. Need to lower the percentage of error though... 15% is still too high...

If it fails Konoha would have a geyser, at least temporarily.

"Obito, don't think about it!" I look up at Kakashi with wide eyes and an innocent look. I wasn't going to use it, 15% is still too high a margin of error, the potential error margin needs to be 8% or less for it to be acceptable for testing. I hear laughter and look out over the murky water at the kappa, it's laughing... It's laughing at us. What the hell does it find so funny. I leap back to my feet sending a few of the bones from the pile skidding over the floor and a couple land in the water. Hmm, bones, bones... My vision drops back down to them.

Isn't there something about communing with spirits. Actually, that could be something. My eyes light up and I barely think about it before offering a brief half bow of acknowledgment to the kappa. And then I immediately sit down legs crossed and eyes tightly closed hands clasped and breathing as even as I can manage it. In, out, focus. My chakra still feels sealed away, out of reach but that's not what I'm looking for.

Parts of your soul.

Physical attachment to your body, your Ki. Burning brightly, one half... Mental, spiritual attachment, to the greater universe, your Chi. There it is. I don't tug on it, I don't pull, instead I sink, I immerse myself in it. And it's like setting off a sparkler. Flashing brightly and temporarily startling until you just adjust. I wrap myself in the feeling and then slowly open my eyes. Black, darkness aside from Kakashi who's staring at me with the same blank look that he's been wearing for most of the day and... Surprisingly bright the kappa swimming circles in the water. Yet there's a trail of something... and I stand.

It's odd, because I don't feel like I'm entirely there as I follow this glowing trail. My boots step over the water, and... I walk over it. As if it's solid I just keep walking. I distantly here the kappa squark and Kakashi take a sharp intake of breath. It doesn't really matter though, I just keep walking and follow the glowing trail. Until finally I stop at a door. It's rusted shut at a glance and on the front of it is a familiar pattern.

Interlocking small diamonds to make one big one.

I need to get inside though. The trail continues on, somewhere past the door.

"OBITO!" Hearing Kakashi's shout actually startles me enough that I come out of whatever trance I fell in. Which also means that I plunge right down into the water. Not fun, definitely not fun. It takes me a fair while to orientate myself and when I get my head back above the water it's to come face to face with a grinning kappa. That's... not exactly a good thing. And yet, it only narrows it's eyes, dives down and then there's a grinding sound as Kakashi doggy paddles(literally identical to a dog) over to me. We both stare at the door with loud complaint opens.

The smell that washes over us is horrible. Like when you leave a bit of meat in the car after buying it. When you leave it for a weak, forgotten... rancid... and I feel that distinct twist that means I need to vomit. It's probably worse for Kakashi since he works with ninken, and has picked up a bit of their sense of smell. But... still it's horrible. As if death themself owned this place and made it purposefully that horrible to encounter...

But still... The trail was leading me somewhere beyond them. So I take a deep breath, try not to cough or gag and then slowly swim in. As soon as Kakashi follows me the door slams shut behind us. And the water drains until we both have our feet firmly on the ground. There's a bright flash that quickly dies down and I look around to see that we're standing in a dimly lit room. Distantly something about the room feels... familiar. I sense that I should at least know this place.

Beside me Kakashi stiffens and I look at him before following his gaze and then I stiffen. And then a sick feeling settles deep in my belly. That's a child... and their parents. The corpses aren't even skeletal. They're just there, wrapped up with one another, eyes closed. It's both horrifying and kind of saddening, and I don't even know. I just want to know why they haven't become complete skeletons yet... Wait, how long does it take a body to decompose?

And then I spot it, shimmering on the floor. Fading and returning to visibility... Holy shit, that's one huge piece of fuinjutsu.

Also it looks pretty reactive.

That's... That's not a good thing. Definitely not a good thing. Since you know... reactive seals tend to react. And not usually in a peaceful way either. Reactive seals tend to be explosive... Of course then you mix in passive, reactive, active, dormant and a few others and well... I think that we're standing in front of one of the biggest potential disasters barring a certain elderich horror that's lurking somewhere in the shadows. And then Kakashi taps my should and points up at the wall. Written in blood... I can't actually understand that. It's more Latin argh!

_Gens maledicta Hatake. Quia in innocentia sunt, et sanguis in aeternum, ut desperet gratia ostia tua amiserit. In Spiritu Sancto, et colunt Shikyo vestigia usque in sanguine Dept debita redditur Adauchi ad forum._

Why, why is it Latin? Of all the mysterious and mystical things it has to be Latin... Wait a second... does that first part translate to Cursed be the Hatake? What the hell? What kind of madness is this? Also wait, there's Shikyo's name... and Adauchi... Is that a family name? Adauchi... Adauchi... If that is a family name then there has to be something that we're missing... Or it's all spelled out in the writing on the wall... Which I think is a lead in to the bigger seal that's on the ground in front of us. This... This is a problem.

A serious problem. Because we're in front of a reactive seal, three corpses and there's a message in blood on the wall.

The only way that I could imagine this getting any worse would be if Shikyo were to show up here. Or you know... another Yokai. Because that would just be the topper wouldn't it? The absolute topper to this stressful situation. More stress... Actually the way that the bodies are laid out and the general feel of this room is now giving me a Slender feel... Must be the season for horror... But wait, Horror is October right? Yeah, Halloween, the Day of the Dead...

It's May!

We're in May... Did I miss something? Or maybe the Supernatural side of Konohagakure did... I rapidly shake my head and frown. I slowly duck down and look at the spiraling seal in front of us as Kakashi rests against the closed door. It's hard to tell what it's supposed to do, until I notice the yin-yang pattern that repeats throughout it, and the kanji for chakra. There's a scratchy feeling up my back and suddenly I feel a bit dizzy.

Chakra...

Yin-Yang, balance... This seal... This is, it's what's been blocking our chakra.

"Kakashi..." I catch his attention and then quickly sign to him my findings. "This... blocks chakra. Holds, Shikyo here." I chew on my lip a bit and then step to the very edge of the seal and point. "If we go around... Stairs back up!" there should be a staircase leading back up. If we can get around the seal, and the corpses. I have a feeling that disturbing them would lead to another nasty surprise.

But for the moment... I yawn. I yawn and Kakashi follows. For the moment I don't think that it would be too dangerous to catch a little bit of sleep here. It doesn't feel dangerous anyway. Besides... if it becomes dangerous our instincts will wake us back up...

And it would be impossible for us to fall asleep.

Either way, I slowly slide to the floor and curl up. Sure it's not the smartest thing, but I'm tired... and so is Kakashi... We'll just continue with the mission(and our exploration) tomorrow.


	18. Nōchi Temple: Revenants

I didn't expect to wake abruptly to someone shaking me. I blink confused and disorientated before I simply stare, there's no one there. There's absolutely no one there, Kakashi shifts a bit and I turn my head slightly to look at him when my eye catches another movement. This one from one of the three corpses... Also, not the nicest things to sleep and wake near period. Death and decay smell worse than mice.

But still, the corpse is moving... A corpse is moving. Not something that you really want to see or think about on top of everything else.

I swallow before turning and shaking Kakashi to wakefulness. He blinks bleerily at me before pushing himself up and yawning. He looks around trying to find why I awoke him before noticing the same subtle movement that I did. And it is subtle, barely a twitch, could be mistaken as a movement from the wind... except that there is no wind down here. There's no wind so how could there be such a movement. How, I don't like this. Not one bit.

Kakashi's eyes narrow at the movement and he tilts his head before looking at me with a look that is basically one giant question. I only shrug and shake my head. I don't know what's going on, I don't know why a corpse would be moving. And honestly I really, really don't want to hang around and find out. I really don't so I grab Kakashi's wrist before edging around the seal almost dragging him with me.

Every small movement that the corpses make cause me to twitch slightly and speed up. I'm not scared of shiryō, or normal yūrei, even ikiryō... but onryō and animated corpses... Yeah I'm not going to lie something about those are disturbing and off putting. Probably because they tend to be more dead looking. With holes, injuries and in the case of living corpses rather notable areas where they've decayed.

It seems to take a lot longer than it probably does. As soon as we're on the other side I stop pretending that I'm not dragging Kakashi. It's straight towards the stairs. Kakashi is so clearly frowning behind his mask but I don't even falter taking the steps skipping several at a time. Three steps at a time to be more precise. It's easy enough but the next problem comes when we reach the top of them. My hand curls on the door handle and I turn it... the door isn't moving. I try pulling it, I try pushing it. It refuses to budge one way or the other. Kakashi taps me on the shoulder and I step back to allow him to try. He doesn't have any luck either and his brows furrow before he shakes his head. There's a scratching noise from down below us and we both look to stare in the suddenly much darker lower area.

This is really giving me an AoOni and Silent Hill kind of feel. I hate situations like this. Face your fears, the deepest darkest parts of yourself and understand how... the door moves and scrapes against the ground. I tumble backwards and let out a noise before blinking and recognizing the one standing there.

"Rin?" Kakashi gives out a rather strangled squeak before tugging me fully out of the doorway and pushing the door back shut. He only seems to notice Rin after his actions though and quickly straightens. "Kakashi?" I look at him and he rolls his eyes, only to actually jump when there's a slam from beyond the door. Scratching, hissing, and growling comes from it as all three of us back away. Timing, our timing for that was literally just perfect.

Just perfect. Couldn't be better if we had practiced it. Which is probably not a good thing. Still we all let out relieved breaths of air before I look around to try and orientate us. This is... wait, I look up and gape. This is right behind the statue of Tsukuyomi, stairs leading down. I look across the room with wide eyes and as I had only half expected there are stares leading up behind Amaterasu.

The moon sets as the sun rises and all that.

Although I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be the other way around oh well. It's not like that really matters. Not really anyway. Instead it's more important to understand what's actually going on, and appreciate that we're alive. Although considering that we're in the center room, it's kind of interesting to contemplate the path that brought us here. Kind of hard to follow as well, considering it means that we would have had to have gotten turned around at some point. I shake my head rapidly to a snicker from Kakashi before I look back at him and Rin sigh and then step out from where we're hidden to stare around the empty chamber. Is this a chamber? Maybe? I don't know.

The stone seats are crumbling, the alter has a crack and I stare. That... that wasn't like that when I saw it last. What the hell?

"Oh... I done that..." Both Kakashi and I snap our attention to Rin. She looks abashed but I'm incredulous, since when could she do damage like that? Since when was Rin actually destructive? That's actually impressive. I grin at her and wave my arms around a bit before stopping and looking around a bit nervously. "Well, it wasn't on purpose." she says and I raise a hand to stop her from saying anything more... there's something just slightly off with this.

It might just be me though. The chamber just seems too empty though, without all the shikyō filling the stone seats. It feels to empty and I don't like it. I close my eyes and raise my hands to fiddle just a touch with my goggles. Is that going to become some kind of habit? I don't know, but it's reassuring. In some weird way. I open my eyes back up and look around stepping further out into the empty chamber. My head turns one way and then the other. Rin and Kakashi both follow after me their steps light, almost silent. Our whole team is quiet really. But I only look back at them for a handful of seconds frowning before looking back out into the room. It's too quiet like this.

It's as though something has really, really gone wrong. Without the shikyō it's like some unwritten rule has been broken.

It's like when I first noticed that one of the corpses was moving really. Wrong, deeply wrong but with no clear, or obvious reason why. Just the deep seated feeling of wrongness. And then there's a crunching sound from beneath my boot and it's as if the whole world has momentarily stopped turning.

Everyone's holding their breath. Everyone's still and slowly I close my eyes and then look down. I... I don't know what that is on the ground. I step back and off it before tilting my head confused.

"What exactly is that?" Kakashi asks and Rin moves closer to peer at it for herself. She frowns narrowing her eyes while I straighten and I'm ready to shrug when there's a loud thud from behind us. We all jump and spin around to stare back where we came from. The thud echoes again followed by something not too dissimilar to a howl and I take several steps backwards. "Okay, here's a better question, what is it that we awoke down there?"

I have no idea, but there is a faint sense that I might know... I might know what we awoke, but I need a little bit more time. It's Rin who reacts next, before either of us spend any more time wondering, and thus wasting it she grabs us both by our wrists and drags us down the hall between the seating and right out into the next hall. Which is also much more damaged than it was when I last saw it. Honestly, I'm impressed, really impressed. Since you know, Rin is still mostly a support player, and yet she's apparently done this. Then again, there is something to be said for chakra control.

The better your control, the more Chi you have the wiser your use of it will be. That would make for efficient use of it when it comes to destroying things like this.

I mean seriously, we can do a lot of damage with big jutsu for sure... but even the small time jutsu can do a lot of damage as long as you have enough control and knowledge of how to use them effectively. Also, I really, really want Rin to get better at stuff like this because seriously. Combat Medics are awesome when they have the right medical:combat ratio.

We can build from this!

We can use this, and then there's a crashing sound and we all skid to a stop as dust fills the air. Rumbling, crumbling and I quickly grab both Rin and Kakashi pulling them down to the ground with me. Distantly I can hear someone swearing and the voice is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. There's a howl and a scraping sound and then a familiar pungent odor reaches my nose. Rancid, rotting meat. Death, decay.

Of to the side Kakashi screws up his face behind his mask and Rin looks seconds away from choking or gagging on the smell. I honestly can't blame them. It is one of the most horrible scents that you could encounter after all. Well barring a handful, but even then... Ugh. This is really not something that I want to deal with now. I close my eyes, and I shift my goggles slightly. A deep breath, trying not to gag on the smell.

Breath in, focus, focus. Out even and long, in, focusing on myself. Chi and Ki, brightly swirling within me, mind and body. I focus this time on my Ki, my body. I feel the strength in my muscles and limbs. The way that this body is mine and this is me. My eyes snap open and this time I'm the one reaching for my team mates just as the creature shows up, flesh loosely clinging to it's bones and then... we're gone.

It's honestly faster than I can ever remember running before. I almost feel like I'm flying rather than running and Kakashi and Rin end up clinging to me rather than running behind me. I find myself grinning and then laughing as we leap over a crack in the ground. I don't slow down, I don't stop not until I'm forced to. Not until Kushina-shishou is right there. It's simple, just wanting to stop and I halt perfectly in front of our sensei. Neither Kakashi or Rin really seem as happy as me. In fact now that I've stopped, I notice just how tightly they're clinging to me... That's strange. It wasn't that bad was it?

"Obito... next time... Next time you do that, please give us a little bit of forewarning!" Rin-chan says with a bit of a forced grin on her face. Meanwhile Kakashi shakes himself off and then tries to compose himself. Kushina-shishou simply watches, her expression showing entirely too much amusement.

And then of course the moment is ruined. A shriek, a howl and the wall is blown open. Kushina-shishou moves quickly to shield us and we barely get the chance to blink as dust billows around us. Chakra charges the air... It burns and blazes and I can feel the fire it possesses, see the red aura that's surrounding Kushina-shishou... beyond that I can feel something else waking up, and it's definitely not happy. Not that Kurama is ever happy but still, holy shit on a stick... This situation either went from bad to worse, or from horrible to awesome with a curbstomping on top.

Although who, or what is getting curbstomped remains to be seen.

Also, of course the energy and power of a Biju would be too much for the seal below the temple to handle... it didn't look as though it were designed with such things in mind.

As the dust finally clears there Kushina-shishou is, Kurama-sama's chakra swirling around her, hair split in nine. And across the room, in the remains of the hall almost looking scared is the adult male's corpse, the father's corpse. I think that I finally remembered what they're called as well. I take a deep breath, grin and shout out almost sounding happy.

"Revenant! Revenants! Kushina-shishou! Revenants!" I should not be sounding happy about our Sensei, my shishou facing undead medieval monsters. But eh, they shouldn't exist in the first place. I'm probably a decent Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant by this point anyway. I mean come on, I've recognized most of the beasts we've faced.

Add in the horror games that I've been recognizing the atmosphere from... This is probably why I need a diary actually. Among other things. But still, this looks like it's going to be an awesome and epic battle, especially because Revenants are one of those weird strains of the undead. Vengeance driven much like onryō but also general tormentors, and honestly they're fast, strong and better than they ever were in life.

Terrifying in a way that also leads to them being cool.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Rin who drags me back behind a fallen pillar to join her and Kakashi in hiding. In observing the fight from a safer vantage point. I'll be completely honest, I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted when Rin dragged me there. Not very mature I know, but it's an instinctive reaction. Say that I have crap instincts or whatever but still.

This is going to be something to remember... Actually think about that though... How the hell was Rin able to do the amount of destruction that she did without access to her chakra... hmm? Still, not the point here. We're about to watch a battle. Yeah, I'm kind of fanpersoning here. Especially as the red chakra spins faster and faster in the air and the nine tails of Kushina-shishou's hair whip through the air behind her. And the revenant begins to rattle.

The revenant is rattling it's bones.

It smells like death, decay, and fiery passion.

And then there's about ten Kushina-shishou's right in front of us. Kage Bunshin! My hands instantly come together in a clap and even Rin is suddenly paying a lot more attention than she was seconds previous. Kakashi is so clearly smirking behind his mask as crackling flames fill the air. Kurama-sama's chakra sure is recognizable. I wonder if he has a shard of himself in any of those clones... wait, was that even a thing that happened? Well even if it didn't it's something I'll wonder anyway.

It's something I'll wonder. I shake my head rapidly and grin as all the Kushinas laugh and launch forwards. The revenant though is quick, barely a blink and it's out of the resulting dog pile. In all honesty though, the fight is hard to follow, it's like I blink and then they're further down the hall or there's a huge wave of water that's been pulled from who knows where rushing towards the revenant. It's amazing, I just wish that we could really follow it.

And then there's a scraping sound and quickly I tug both Kakashi and Rin down. Just in time as the wall above us rushes overhead and slams with a solid thud onto the other side of the hall. An old trick, crushing people between two walls, or a spike wall but whoa. I poke my head back up through the small gap left only to quickly duck right back down to avoid a flying skeleton.

Maybe we should just stay... And then Rin yelps and both Kakashi and I grasp her hands. Pale ghostly limbs grasp at her ankles and I blink. Are those... are those what dragged me down through the ground earlier? Who knows, but this time it's not going to happen. I feel the ebb and flow of my Chi, my Ki, separate but still useful. Still there for me to reach. Even if I can't use them mixed together as chakra. I feel a grin slide onto my face as I immerse myself in the feeling of my Chi.

Time for spirit, control.

Yep, there's hands on Rin's ankles, and they're tugging. I can also see bright sparkling lights, several that remind me of Kushina. And three that send out trails that I want to follow, but don't... They're probably connected to the revenants, and aside from that I need to help Rin. I feel my hands release hers and can feel Kakashi's glare but ignore it. I ignore it and instead lower my arms and then kneel down. It's so simple to reach out and grasp the phantom limbs and gently...

There. I drop them and then shake my head. The glowing trails spin in the air around me and I take a deep breath and then another. Now is not the time to go following mystical trails in the air. Especially not when I have a deep seated hunch, an idea of what they actually lead to. Oh who am I kidding first moment I get I'm going to be following those shining trails right into danger. I'm aware enough to know that I am the kind of person to knowingly walk into danger just because there might be something cool on the other side.

Then again...

We all jump as the stone crumbles in front of us and there's another revenant right in front of us. Right... there's three of those things isn't there? One is still fighting Kushina-shishou as we can tell due to the shrieking and crashing from further down the hall. One is now in front of us, the mother(I think..?), so that leaves one unaccounted for. Considering our luck so far, I also have to wonder when or how we'll have to account for Shikyo...

Also something interesting to note is the glowing trail isn't leading for the revenant after all... huh?

Three branching trails... what else here comes in threes then? I don't have that much time to ponder it though as Kakashi yanks me out of the way of a skeletal hand that slams right through the stone where I had been seconds ago. Right, it's not a good idea to get distracted while a fight is going on. It's not a good idea so I shake myself out of my thoughts and then focus on breathing and once more my Ki.

I'm going to need speed, strength. Physical power and agility, of course. I can feel a grin crossing my face again as I leap up and land on the other side of the revenant. I really should not be enjoying this, but there's something to be said about getting in danger. There really is. Mainly the adrenalin. It really is something, it can make you do things that you never knew that you could do, and in this case it gives me a bit of euphoria. I feel like I can do this, I don't have anything to fear because I can do this. My Ki boosting my limbs and heightening my stats.

There's something to be mentioned in the way that it feels different from chakra as well. Pure Ki feels more, I don't know how to really say it, but I would suppose grounded in a way. Since it's my body, and me it really allows me to focus on my body, my breathing and the way that my blood flows, the way my muscles move and the power that I have winding through my body. A split seconds notice and I can easily duck under flying projectiles or dance around the strikes that the female revenant is trying to direct towards my vitals.

It's a dangerous dance, yet I don't feel even the slightest bit scared. I have energy to spare and I can do this. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Kakashi and Rin as they just watch. Honestly this is seriously cool.

I bounce backwards and skid for a bit my hand sliding across the stone to slow me. Then I'm hurtling forwards and knocking right into the revenant sending it smashing right back into the wall. I continue to grin as it spins around in mid air to land in a crouch and launch itself back towards me. No time to pause as I duck and allow it to fly over head before flipping and twisting around sending my foot right down, slamming it down into the stone floor cracking it. The stupid thing is though the revenant isn't even scratched, it barely takes a moment to send me flying and I have to flip around again to simply land back on my feet.

I bare my teeth in a vicious grin as Kakashi pulls Rin back behind a pillar and I take a deep breath. The revenant charges and I snap both my eyes back open pulling a pair of kunai out of my pouches and drawing them across and through the air slicing it. More dancing around to avoid attacks before jumping up and over and then slamming one kunai into the back of the revenants cranium.

The shriek that gets rattles through my own skull and it's as though everything is slightly off. The ground slips and I slam into the ground skull pounding. My hands grasp at my ears and I curl into a bit of a ball to try and escape the sound that keeps echoing in my head. It's like running into the wall, the sound just doesn't stop. It also hurts and makes me want to scream as well. Actually I am screaming. I don't really stop screaming until it sort of patters off.

I pant a bit and only distantly realize that there's a hand gently stroking my head. Gently running through my hair to try and sooth me. I whimper and curl up a little leaning into the touch. It's reassuring and for a handful of moments I bask in it before opening my eyes and blinking up at the one who's petting me. Kushina-shishou, or one of her Kage Bunshin anyway. She arches a brow at me before setting me down.

Honestly, the shriek is still distantly ringing in my ears and I feel kind of like vomiting.

Which is actually a sign that I'm hungry. That strange quirk of my physiology carried over to this life. I start feeling queazy and sick, like vomiting if I'm really, really hungry.

"At least we know how to kill them now 'ttebane. But maybe it would be best if we don't." I look up and blink at Kushina-shishou's words. Does that mean that I actually managed to kill it, huh. I suppose that's good. "They sure do have a horrific final surprise with that shriek 'ttebane. Are you feeling better now Obito-chan 'ttebane?"

"Hungry!" let's go with the simple and accurate answer why don't we?

"Now that Obito-kun mentions it..."

"We haven't actually eaten since yesterday. And that was lunch." Kakashi and Rin both look sheepish as their own stomachs grumble as if on a bit of a cue. Then again, sometimes people do forget such things until someone mentions that they're hungry, or tired or you know... stuff like that. A weird quirk of the human brain honestly.

Kushina-shishou looks around at all of us surprised. And, as if on cue her own stomach grumbles. It takes a beat but we all burst into laughter at that before grinning. I raise a hand to my mouth to hide my smile before frowning as my stomach once more voices its discomfort. This body isn't used to only a single meal a day after all, it's used to three meals a day with snacks. So missing Dinner(Supper) and this morning's Breakfast is not doing me any favours.

Of course, there's a bigger problem to deal with as well. Those annoying revenants.

The fact that if we kill them they shriek at a volume that leaves you disorientated and in pain is also pretty annoying. At least we know that now though. Which gives us a bit of an advantage. At least it means that we won't be getting caught off guard by that trick a second time. But the problem is, to kill them we need to get in close. There has to be a simpler way...

Well, we'll just have to figure it out after getting something to eat.

Before any of us can volunteer to go find something to sustain us the door slides open and we all peer at it. Another familiar head of silver hair pokes it's way in. Green clothing that still reminds me of Link and... It's Manga. He's frowning at us as though he's not pleased with our presence here... and honestly something about him seems off. I don't know what it is though but as he approaches with a plate of still steaming food my eyes narrow.

Something about him is off.

It's not even the fact that he's frowning. It's not that he's judging us, civilians do that all the time after all. It's something else and I keep my gaze on him as he sets down the tray of food, the kettle and cups, turns and leaves. I keep my gaze locked on the sliding paper door long after his footsteps have faded away as well. Something about him has put me on my guard. I don't like it, because he felt off that time. Not the same as he'd been the last two times that we'd met him.

Something has changed.

It's changed and I don't know what it is, and I don't like it.

"Itadakimasu" Eventually I shake away my suspicion and grab a set of chopsticks to break ready to eat the rice we've been given. I munch on it enjoying it more for the texture than any flavour that it may have had. Not that rice ever really has that much of a flavour unless you prepare it in a certain way. It's strange that way, then again in my previous life my favourite food was lettuce above everything else and that doesn't really have any flavour aside from moist, fresh, crunch and water.

As soon as we finish it's back to our mission.

Which is definitely different to what I expected. But hey... who says that's a bad thing?


	19. Nōchi Temple: Descending Darkness

You know in all honesty I don't think that any of us really have any solid plans for how we're going to deal with this situation. We know vaguely how to kill the revenants, or rather kill them a second time. But that might be ill advised, and then of course there's Shikyo. Two problems, and then of course there's the damage that we've done in our dealing with them... I know that ice can be used to deal with blood stains, though that was previously used to deal with period problems...

Add in the fact that I don't think that we've even begun to think about the other side of things that we're supposed to be doing on this mission. Let's see, cleaning, yokai taming, restoration, and there was something about digging out old tapestries and items of worship.

I pause in my eating with chopsticks in my mouth and look around you know... thinking about it, we really should be taking this time to plan shouldn't we. To discuss and consider how we're even going to deal with these things. And with that thought in mind I finish off my mouthful and ask the most important question in this situation.

"Plan?" Do any of us even have the bare bones of one? A skeleton of a plan for how we're going to deal with this mess? Also I swear, if anything else goes wrong this would be a D to B-Rank mission. I mean come on, Yokai and Revenants together should at least already jump it up to high C-Rank. Since you know, it's not like they're things that you can just chase away with a broom. Are they? Hmm, now I'm tempted to try that, it would at least be entertaining.

I blink and rapidly shake my head before looking around at everyone again. They're all frowning, although Rin-chan does look considerably thoughtful about the question. Although, even if we do have a plan, it's probably not going to survive for that long. No plan survives first contact after all.

"Obito-chan does have a point Kushina-sensei... We should at least think of some kind of plan of how to deal with those things!"

"Revenants! Onryō, Yokai!" I correct Kakashi pointing at him with my chopsticks and then sighing and looking down at my empty rice bowl, I could have sworn there was more left than just a couple more mouthfuls.

"Right..." he really doesn't sound like he cares that much about it. I roll my eyes from behind my goggles and absently fiddle with one of my ear protectors as it's Rin-chan's turn to speak.

"Well what do we know about them?" she asks and Kakashi frowns behind his mask.

"Undead!" I decide to pipe in before setting down my chopsticks and continuing that trail of thought in sign language. "Revenants and Onryō, both same. Revenge main goal, vengeance. Onryō cause bad luck, fear and tragedy. Revenants focus on killing, ending cause of pain. Both can be sated, hard though." I lower my hands back down and everyone kind of blinks at me. I simply shrug at their responses.

So I happen to really, really like mythology, sue me. It's a good thing that I do in this case, since otherwise I don't think that we'd really figure things out that easily. Although something is really, really bugging me about this.

"Kakashi!" he looks over at me and I rapidly sign. "Remember writing on wall?" he blinks and then slowly seems to come to a realization of his own.

"Yes I remember the... Oh, Obito whatever you're thinking the answer is no! That's a horrible idea!" I honestly wasn't thinking what he thinks that I was. I roll my eyes and sigh while Rin-chan looks between us confused.

"Kakashi! Think... meaning?"

"Obito-kun, Kakashi-kun?" we both break off our staring to look over in Rin-chan's direction, and I give Kushina-shishou a glance as we do. "I almost don't want to ask, but what writing on the wall?" she asks. I blink, honestly I had almost forgotten, she wasn't there with us for that discovery was she. Nor for the kappa, huh, I wonder what we missed on this end then. Considering if we discovered some things then surely they would have as well... We're going to be playing catch up then aren't we... Later though, after the mission is over.

"Kakashi! Writing!" I hold out a hand and Kushina-shishou narrows her eyes. Kakashi also gives me on of the most deadpan stares that I've had the honor of receiving. I roll my eyes again and motion with my hand, the almost universal give me sign. Finally he sighs and gives me some writing supplies.

Here's the interesting thing. Normally, my memory is one of those things that is really, really not something to be proud of. It's rather... selective with the details and stuff that it picks up. Which generally means that I'm not exactly smart in a traditional way, I typically couldn't remember important information, directions, places, or people's names and faces if you paid me a million ryō... Voices on the other hand, music, and certain patterns... or things that happen to interest me...

And honestly, the Latin that I've heard and seen recently have stuck in my mind. So as soon as I get the supplies in front of me I copy it out from my memory.

_Gens maledicta Hatake. Quia in innocentia sunt, et sanguis in aeternum, ut desperet gratia ostia tua amiserit. In Spiritu Sancto, et colunt Shikyo vestigia usque in sanguine Dept debita redditur Adauchi ad forum._

And then we all sit back. It's certainly interesting. Something to think about and I can see the way that Kushina-shishou's expression changes. Her gaze seems to be just a touch sharper, more focused than it was seconds previous. Rin-chan has this absolutely bewildered look on her face and Kakashi... Kakashi looks just as confused as he did when we originally encountered it. He doesn't know what it means.

To be fair though, neither do I really. Though I think that I might have figured out a little bit more of it.

 _Cursed be the Hatake._ Something about innocence lost and despair. Shikyo, debt and the Adauchi Clan.

Which honestly doesn't give me that much in the way of context. But it does give us a starting point. Add in the seal and it adds together into a broken picture with the few pieces painting a tragedy.

"I understand little. Cursed be the Hatake... something innocence lost, despair. Shikyo, something about debt. Adauchi Clan" My movements are kind of clunky as I sign what I'm able to understand. Probably because signing it seems to make it a little bit more real. Makes it seem that clearer. Kakashi's eyes widen just a touch but that's more than enough to tell me that he's at least as unsettled by this as I am. Or you know, not completely unaffected by it.

"Obito-chan?" Kushina-shishou's voice sounds kind of strange as I look up at her with an almost blank expression on my face. "How are you able to understand that much 'ttebane?" I'll be completely honest, my mind actually stalls.

How... how am I able to even understand that much? It's not like I ever really even studied Latin... Hell, the languages that I did study in order of the amount of knowledge that I retained of them were Chinese, German, and Spanish(though that might have been Italian? I don't know I only had the lessons from the age of five to six... I only really know the numbers). Latin was not one of the languages that I ever really considered trying to study. What the hell brain? What the actual hell?

That's honestly freaky.

That's really honestly freaky. My expression must have shown horror or something along those lines because the next thing that happens, and one of the last things that I really expect, is that Kakashi pulls me into a somewhat awkward side hug. Kushina-shishou however frowns, it's an expression that I didn't entirely expect. Also it kind of feels as though my response confirmed something for her.

I kind of want to run now.

Run and hide and I don't entirely know why. So instead I adjust my ear cover again and very carefully don't look up and Kushina-shishou.

Rin-chan frowns and looks around at us with a look that very clearly says that shs's a little bit lost. I honestly don't blame her. Our interactions have probably painted a very confusing picture with little connection, or seemingly little connection to the situation at hand. Or, I don't know. It's just a confusing situation.

"Sensei, what does this mean. If it really is a curse, or declaration of a curse... What did Kakashi-kun's clan do?" Rin asks and I actually raise my head at her question. That's... that's actually a good question and a good point although... Innocence lost, hmm. This has to have it's roots in the WCE. The Warring Clans Era...

"Maybe we should find Karite-gozenshi." Kakashi hums a hand on his chin and eyes closed in thought.

"Manga?" I offer, because if we're going to be asking questions, then surely Manga-san would also have the answers. Although I will admit, that part of that is because I'm curious. Something about Manga has caught my attention.

"I suppose so Obito-kun... Kakashi-kun, but how are we supposed to find either of them?" Rin asks and I frown furrowing my brow and rubbing a hand over my chin and mouth before shrugging. I don't know. I suppose that we should just start looking, that's always the best way to find something. After all, you can't find something if you're not looking.

It's a scripture, from the bible, Matthew 7: 7, 8 if I'm remembering correctly... _Keep on asking, and it will be given you keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you; or everyone asking receives, and everyone seeking finds, and to everyone knocking, it will be opened._

I'm actually kind of amazed that I can remember that... then again, eh. I read the bible a fair bit... I mean come on, the daily text, bible highlights... Read the Bible daily. heh. Though I doubt that anyone should expect coherency with the way that I remember things from it. I certainly don't... I shake my head rapidly to the amusement of Kakashi and Rin. Kushina-shishou is also amused by my actions. Probably because to them there doesn't seem to be any clear reason for me to react that way.

"Kushina-shishou?" I look up at her asking permission, also my pronunciation in here is kind of weirding me out. I've been able to actually say things... Sure I'm keeping it on the down low but still. I'm saying things, almost like a normal person.

It's as freaky as the whole understanding at least a small amount of Latin thing.

Or well, it almost is. I mean I don't know. This whole mission is kind of edging closer and closer to the more creepy side of things. I mean what with the Yokai, the Revenants and the writing on the wall. All we'd need to top it off would be a demonic possession, or something close to that... I really hope that nothing like that happens. Really, that would be just a bit much.

We're only nine, well Kakashi's eight. But still, we're not qualified to deal with this...

I wonder if we can actually call the Ghostbusters...

I don't have any idea where that question came from but it's surprisingly relevant to the situation. I mean come on, when facing mythological beasts from ancient times they're probably the folks that you'll want to call. Except you know, we can't really call them... Though I could probably- I blink and stare at my now empty hand.

"Obito-chan, as interested as we might be to see you create a new seal... now's not the time 'ttebane!" Right, I blink again before shifting one hand and adjusting my goggles giving a closed eye grin to Kushina-shishou.

"Hai! Kushina-shishou..." I shift the goggles again before the grin slips away and then I stand up and dust myself off. "Manga? Karite-zenshi?" How are we going to do this? Splitting up, that sounds like what's going to happen.

"Right." Kushina-shishou actually snaps her fingers together before holding up one hand and waving it in the air beside her pointing at nothing as she spoke. "We'll pair up 'ttebane. Rin-chan, you'll work with Obito-chan looking for Manga-san. Kakashi-kun, you'll come with me to find Karite-gozenshi... If you can keep track of the time we'll try to meet back up in about two hours 'ttebane. If none of us have found them we'll switch who we're looking for 'ttebane"

"Hai!" we all say and I close my left eye in a wink.

This probably isn't the best plan. But it's something... although it's not giving us anything in regards to how we're going to deal with any of the mythical monsters should we encounter them.

"If you run into Shikyo, duck." that's... almost too simple. Wait why duck specifically? Will the onryō throw stuff at us? That's actually something to think about, because if she's throwing stuff that could explain some of the damage that we've been seeing... Although not really. "As for those animated corpses... avoid fighting them if you can, and if you can't don't trigger their shrieking 'ttebane!" she looks right at me as she says this and I snicker.

Raising one hand I give a mock salute before placing a hand out into the middle of the loose circle that we've kind of made. Rin-chan seems to get it first and she places a hand on top of mine. I don't even have to look in Kakashi's direction as he blows out a rush of air through his nose before following her example and Kushina-shishou is beaming like the sun as she places a hand on top. With a nod we all break apart. Since we're all finished with our food it's straight to work then.

Or well... straight to searching for our perspective targets for information gathering.

If only it's that easy.

It's never that easy and opening the door allows the revenants lying in wait to launch themselves at us. I'm glad that we've all mastered the art of leaping backwards and to the side at a moments notice, along with rolling and landing in weird places. Or well mostly mastered it. But hey, at least I can now say that we know where the child revenant is. I was not entirely certain before, and now that it's snarling and actually flecking some weird slime right in my face I can at least say that I know where it is.

Although, I can't say that it's the most relieving thing.

I mean it is pretty much right in my face.

The smell is only the tip of the unpleasantness burg here. I mean come on, the smell I can deal with considering I slept in the same room as it... even the sight of empty(or mostly empty anyway) sockets and loosely hanging flesh with a gaping dislocated jaw isn't that hard to deal with... Although the proximity to my face is enough to force me to edge back just slightly. That and the clawing, and you know the way it's snapping it's jaw.

I am never going to complain about having vomit-rotten-eggs breath again that's for sure. Well, maybe in my head I will. But eh... This thing in my face definitely has worse breath. A worse scent all around actually...

All these observations and thoughts fly through my mind at rapid speed and I'm stuck with my back to the wall and the revenant is right in front of me. Snarling, jaw hanging dislocated and seriously I'm almost penned in. The key word here is almost. It's only a matter of bouncing off the wall and kind of kicking the revenant into it to escape.

While revenants are smarter than the average undead monster, faster and stronger... they're also more human in a way. They make mistakes. Leave obvious openings if you're looking for them. As Kushina-shishou also proves slamming a foot into the side of the father revenant sending it flying across the room just in time to intercept the child one.

It's almost like a comedy routine kind of... Although maybe more Scooby Doo chase style... huh?

I haven't been able to see that for ages. Even before I ended up here... In this life, even before I took Obito's place. If this is some kind of ruse, I will end up laughing myself sick at the end of this mission. I swear, because it would be too much. It would be too much... Too, much. I hiss and shake my head rapidly stepping to the side just in time to dodge the revenants again. They sure do recover fast.

Then again, they're already dead. Unless you decapitate them, or completely destroy the skull of course they're going to recover. Although the way that I apparently caved in the mother's skull earlier worked as well... So their recovery rate isn't so much surprising as it is annoying.

I yelp as I feel myself get plucked from the ground and furrow my brow narrowing my eyes at Kushina-shishou. Surroundings blur and I continue to glare at Kushina-shishou even when she drops me down beside Rin on my feet.

"Let's get to work 'ttebane! Avoid those things at all possible 'ttebane"

"Hai!" I snicker a bit, considering that went so well the first time. We didn't really avoid them at all. Of course really, who would have expected them to be right there outside the door. Also, why did they never burst through, curious? Or did they just take that long to relocate us. It's... suspicious.

Suspicious... I really am getting a strange feeling about this whole situation. There has to be a clue somewhere. Maybe it's upstairs... or who knows. But I'm sure there's a clue to what's going on... beyond the writing on the wall in Latin...

That probably only explains half of it...

We are a Team Seven after all. I know the way that fanfiction played up the bad luck associated with that team... but um. You kind of have to admit that the track record given in canon doesn't help. And thus far, this has proven to be a disaster in the making... So team seven luck is beginning now.

At least I don't think that it will ever get as bad as the next generation of Team Seven. We don't have a Naruto yet. That actually doesn't reassure me as much as it probably should, but honestly it's either Team Seven luck, or the luck that's created by being a member of the Uzumaki, Uchiha or Senju clan... which eh...

Or you know, Kakashi actually is cursed...

Six of one half a dozen of the other...

I don't think that it really matters. Not really, whether it's the Team formation that's cursed, the people who make it up, or what. It doesn't matter because it still happens. Also I don't think that's entirely relevant, not when we're supposed to be looking for Manga, or Karite-zenshi... whoever we run into first ultimately.

Hey, I can be genre savvy sometimes. Although yeah, that's really rare. Really, really rare.

"Rin-chan!" I look over at my team mate with a huge grin and make a circle in the air with one finger. She actually rolls her eyes at my actions and I snicker. She narrows her eyes at me and I flash a grin. It shouldn't be too hard to find at least one of the people we're looking for. Not really, rather the hard part would be avoiding the Yokai and other monsters that seem to have infested this temple. "Finding easy part... avoiding, hard!" I rapidly sign and she actually nods her head in agreement.

"It certainly seems that way so far Obito-kun." Rin says in agreement. She straightens and dusts imaginary dirt off her skirt before looking at me. "But both are going to be hard if we stay here." I smile and lean my head to the side. "Let's... go..." she pauses and stares out into the hall and I frown looking around before moving to join her.

It's dark, like when we first entered. Pitch black surrounds and suffocates, judging and weighing down, pressing us into the ground... Or maybe it's just me. I can hear a roaring in my ears and a scraping sound of metal against stone, bones cracking and rattling. My eyes snap back open and I reach out blindly grasping for Rin-chan. It's probably only luck that allows me to grab onto someone.

It's not Rin though... green, light green... And it still reminds me of Link. I look up to see that he does not look amused. Eyes narrowed, mouth turned down and teeth barred. Something is wrong with this picture... Something is very wrong.

"Get. Off. Me!" he yanks his arm from my grasp and then slams it back around. Air rushes out of my lungs as I land painfully on my tailbone. I shake my head and blink up at him confused.

Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

He definitely seems different from the initial meeting that we had... And in a way the second meeting. Of course that one was also different, considering most of us were probably more focused on Shikyo than we were him. Yet still, the expression that he's now wearing. Absolute disgust and derision. Something's changed. Something about him has changed and I don't like it.

"Manga-san?" I still manage to make my voice sound questioning as he turns ready to storm off. Also where's Rin-chan? She can't be that far... I don't even remember moving in the darkness.

This is not a good situation, Manga stills at my voice and then chuckles. It's the kind of ominous chuckle that sends a shiver up my spine. That makes me take several steps back and away from the twelve year old. From the older child. His head turns just enough for me to see his razor sharp fanged smile and glinting eye. Several more steps backwards are taken and then he turns around that fanged expression widening and the shadows practically looming around us.

I may not be the sharpest or the brightest, and some people have said that I don't have much of a self-preservation instinct but... But I do know when it's a bad time to stay in place.

This... This is a bad time.

A grin forces itself on my face. It's your typical Oh Shit grin as well, pulling painfully at my cheeks and probably making my eyes seem too wide.

"Hold on..." he crosses his arms over his chest and looks at me as though considering something. A look that really gives me a bad feeling. "Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all..." Okay, that definitely gives me a bad feeling, a particular curl deep in my stomach and rush of cold ice down the spine. "Yeah... it's not such a bad thing after all."

I jump backwards just barely avoiding the... senbon? Yeah, senbon that he throws my way. Okay, this is not quite what I expected, then again... I really don't know what I expected. Still in response I find that a pair of kunai make their way into my hands and I grit my teeth eyes narrowing in his direction.

If he's looking for a fight then I'm honestly more than willing to give him one.

"Obito-kun! Manga-san?" I make the barest movement to glance at Rin-chan... she looks so confused and lost, and I can't even blame her. She's the one who came in late after all. Across from me Manga straightens up, closes his eyes and smirks. "What's going on?"


	20. Nōchi Temple: Obscuritas Reverberatio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, there's a scene in this chapter that might be triggering for people who have arachnophobia. Honestly, even writing it unsettled me, and knowing that there are people out there who're more scared of spiders I thought that I would give a fair warning for it.
> 
> "Spoken English"

"Not'ng..." I eventually say slipping my kunai back away and only eyeing Manga suspiciously. He smoothed himself up too easily, too quickly. I smell a mouse, a dirty fat mouse. "Manga-san!" I cheerfully add clasping my hands behind my back and grinning at Rin-chan winking a single eye shut. I'm not going to close both of my eyes while Manga is still giving off some really weird vibes.

It's not just because he threw senbon at me either. Although I will admit that's probably part of it. I mean come on, who wouldn't keep their guard up around someone after something like that? Rin-chan narrows her eyes at me anyway, clearly suspicious before sighing and shaking her head. I can't actually fault her for that though, she came in later after all. You really can't fault people when they come in late, unless they jump to conclusions and then act on them in a way that makes everything worse.

And even then you honestly can't fault them entirely.

I open both my eyes back up and maintain my grin as Manga's own smile seems to widen just a touch and he inclines his head in Rin-chan's direction.

"I understand you were looking for me Shinobi-chan?" he says, voice just a touch too innocent. My eyes narrow just enough at him and I notice the twitch of his lip that would suggest a smirk. It doesn't quite cross his face though, and that makes me narrow my eyes just enough. Rin's frowning at me and I huff crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, what do you want to know Shinobi-chan?" he asks spreading his arms and smiling at Rin.

I want to hit him, but he's out of reach and Rin is right here. If I hit him for seemingly no reason she'll give me that one look. You know, the one everyone who's a girl(or a doctor, or teacher actually...) deep down seems to have perfected. The one that says quite plainly that _they're oh so disappointed in you and that you should feel ashamed of your actions_... I hate that look. I hate that I could never quite do it as well.

Might have been because I was never quite a girl. Might have just been because I was me.

Girls are good at it, mothers, doctors and teachers as especially... also in certain cases fathers...

I don't particularly want to be on the receiving end of such a look. Especially not from Rin-chan so I resign myself to narrowing my eyes and half-glaring at the trickster in front of us. I mean come on, he's definitely playing to the crowd now. Or well, Rin-chan anyway.

I can feel my hands clench a bit at my sides as Rin smiles at him.

"Kushina-shishou, Kakashi!" I speak up tilting my head.

"Right. Manga-san, we should go back and find the rest of the team. We have some questions to ask you."

"Of course." Manga says hands behind his back and eyes closed. I am really getting a bad feeling from him. Again. There's a certain way that his actions send a twist through my gut and make me want to grab Rin-chan and just run. A mad dash as far away from the silver haired boy as we can possibly get. I really, really want to just run.

That doesn't happen of course. It doesn't happen because I know that broadcasting such things would just lead to trouble. So instead we walk back into the hall footsteps echoing louder than should be possible. I can hear and feel the beat of my heart, strong, and steady with a slightly shorter pause between each beat than normal.

I close my eyes as we walk and keep my ears open. Slight puffs of air that leave my lips, the echoing footsteps and a rustle of cloth... A noise like metal being tugged. My eyes snap back open and I leap to drag Rin down as a blade cuts through the air.

Manga's scowling and Rin's blinking expression absolutely bewildered... an expression that quickly shifts to horror, and then narrows into a glare.

The knife that the Hatake boy holds glints in the limited light and I bare my teeth in a snarl a kunai quickly matching his drawn weapon in my own hand. At least Rin-chan's now caught up... and also she kind of looks down right murderous now. I honestly can't blame her. He waited until we both seemed distracted and...

Is that smoke curling around him? No, shadow... and his eyes are glowing and, what the hell is this? I can't even properly describe what is happening, darkness and smoke and shadow all rise up twisting in the air around Manga as his eyes kind of glow and it's...

It's weird because that's not even all that's happening. Sound, screaming and yelling and hey is that my Mom? Also knocking, three knocks... I'm pretty sure that was a creepypasta...

The Knocking Girl... but there aren't any doors here. At least... I don't think that there are any doors here.

It doesn't matter. I growl and pull out a second kunai this time in my left hand and narrow my eyes glaring right at Manga. Rin-chan slides to her feet quickly joining me. I barely acknowledge her really. Beyond stepping to the side just enough for her to stand beside me. Really if Manga is looking for a fight we're more than willing to meet that challenge. And honestly, I'm pretty sure that we'd be the ones winning.

We've been trained. He hasn't...

At least I don't think that he's been trained. His stance and movements certainly don't speak of any training. It's unbalanced and I know that if we hit him anywhere right now he'll be on the ground within seconds.

A blink of an eye.

And that's where it all goes wrong.

There's a howl and I don't know who screams first but then the ground is splintering breaking apart beneath our feet. Skeletal hands reach up and grasp, twisting into our clothing trying to drag us down, Manga is laughing maniacally reminding me of the Joker and I can't... I can't quite breath, darkness and death and-

Rin's the one who pulls me to safety, hair looking as though she's had an impromptu cut, with scratches still faintly trailing blood down her arms as she drags me further down the hall. Past clawing skeleton hands and grasping fingers that scrape our limbs and tear our clothing even more than it already was.

Manga's insane laughter still echoes, following us until we burst through the door at the end of the hall and sprawl on the ground panting.

I close my eyes and allow my head to thud back against the door before slowly opening them back up. That's also when I completely still, breath catching in my throat and hands flexing once before freezing. Sure it's covered with a white sheet in front of us but I can still recognise it. A mirror, we've run into a room with a mirror.

Honestly...

Honestly in this life, I have yet to actually properly see myself. I mean sure I've encountered mirrors. And I think that when I was a tiny tot... maybe one or one and a half I must have looked into a mirror... but... But I tend to avoid them where possible. I know what I look like(vaguely anyway), and I know who I am. Yet I still can't quite gather the courage to face my reflection.

Rin picks up on my distress and I don't even have to look at her to know that she's frowning. More in confusion than anything else. Except that it passes quickly, straight into acceptance, like with everything else. She's just really, really accepting. Again, creepy.

She just accepts it and stands up, purposefully obscuring my view of the covered mirror and then smiling at me.

It only just helps and I can feel the strain in my smile. I am not comfortable with mirrors. For many reasons. But the attempt is appreciated and when Rin-chan offers her hand I accept it and take a deep breath closing my eyes. Opening them back up I'm able to feel my smile ease up into a more natural expression before looking around the room that we've stumbled upon purposefully avoiding the mirror.

It's dark, smells faintly of mould(and dust) and there's a whole lot of stuff that's just kind of lying around. I don't even know what any of the junk might be used for. Beyond the mirror there's a candle holder, a sheet covered table, a small wooden box that's got a shattered stained glass window lying against it. And there's a whole bunch of boxes with small figurines just tossed in them.

I take a couple of steps further into the room and peer closer at one of the boxes trying to see if I could recognise any of the figurines... The answer is no.

"What do you think this is?" Rin-chan asks and I look back at her with a frown before shrugging. I wouldn't have the faintest clue. Some of it might be for worship, some of it might just be junk though. No way to really tell. "Right. I suppose that I-" she cuts herself off suddenly gaping at something. I look up at her confused before following her gaze and then staring for myself.

Covered in cobwebs, and a fine layer of dust, is another skeleton. There's a sword lying next to it, and the clothing look rather reminiscent of the robes that Manga, and Karite-zenshi have been wearing. Although they're a dull brown, with a strong scent of rot and decay to them. Also I wrinkle up my nose as a spider crawls across the skull from one empty socket to the other.

"Nasty!" I say waving one hand in front of my face as though trying to shoo away an annoying fly.

"Yeah... But... why's it just sitting here? Forgotten..." Rin-chan sounds kind of sad, I'm more suspicious. What if this skeleton also turns out to be a revenant. Three were enough, four is death. Actually I frown and step just a couple of inches closer to try and determine whether or not the skeleton was male or female. When it's just bones it's a bit harder... but there are still a few notable differences.

Mainly in the pelvic bone but ahh... there's also the fact that men do have broader shoulders, and the way that your ribs are placed, the angle they make. Also the size of the particular bones that make up the skull... Looking at it all actually gives me a surprising revelation about the skeleton that we're looking at. Whoever they were, they were female in life.

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise, but it still does surprise me.

I lift my head and look back up at Rin-chan and make a small noise to recapture her attention before reporting my findings.

"Female!" I rub the back of my head a bit before fiddling absently with the strap of my goggles and then tugging on the cloth of my hitai-ate. "No broken bones. No cause death... many spiders" Honestly, the many spiders thing was probably an observation that I could have not mentioned but it's just there are so many of them... and they're really freaking me out. Also trying to remember legends about spiders and failing and something about the sheer amount of them really puts me on my guard. "Spider... spider..."

_Come on into my parlor, said the spider to the fly. We'll have a nice tea party before you'll die._

I don't think that's quite the right way that goes... But it kind of fits. I'm definitely misremembering it, and I'm pretty certain that the latter part is never said in the poem. Wait... was it a poem, or just a parable. I rapidly shake my head and then take a deep breath closing my eyes and just focusing on what I could hear.

A high pitched whine, a buzz and a kind of shuffling sound. Sliding, scraping... it's interesting to note that when there are enough of them. Spiders do make a noise, mosquitoes make the whine and the buzz... blow flies?

My eyes snap open. I look around and then Rin-chan screams. It's enough for me to jolt spinning around and then staring with wide eyes. A hand, reaching from darkness and a snarling noise like a mad wolf. Rin steps back tearing herself from it's grasp and gurgling growls follow. What the actual hell is going on now. More scuttling comes from behind me, and the whine rises echoing in my ears sharp enough to hurt.

Buzzing whining, scuttling. It's time to go.

I grab Rin-chan's hand and more or less drag her back through the room and out the door. There's a spider in my hair. THERE'S A SPIDER IN MY HAIR... Why? I yelp as it drops down and hangs by a thread in front of my goggles. Rin-chan removes it with this long suffering expression, mixed with a faint bit of fear. I don't blame her... but still at least she can handle herself around spiders. Unlike me who used to do the whole, stand a meter away from the spider and desensitize yourself to them, trick.

It never really worked.

Even now, spiders just unsettle me and can make me scream and feel like bolting. I mean really, I know that they have an important place in the ecosystem but still, they're seriously not comforting to be around. Also scorpions have a similar effect, it's probably because of the whole eight legged thing. At least there's only the one small spider and that's quickly taken care of by Rin-chan.

I force a smile on my face and rub the back of my head closing my eyes before allowing the expression to fall away. I look back at the firmly closed door with a frown. What was that in the darkness. The hand looked human, but whatever lurked beyond certainly didn't sound like it was human... mythological beasts, chimera maybe? Sometimes those can have human traits... But that would beg the question of what one would be doing here.

Among the other things.

Revenants, an Onryō, a Kappa. I wonder what else we'll be meeting here. I'm actually kind of betting on an Inugami, since you know it's a Hatake Clan temple from what I can tell... At least, that's what I've begun to hypothesize. Considering the two people already here are from the Hatake Clan, and also the curse in Latin was addressing the Hatake Clan.

That's fairly telling you know. At least I figure that is, or should be anyway. That would also mean that the diamond pattern must be the Clan Symbol. Like the fan for the Uchiha, and the two inward pointing rectangles of the Nohara. Yeah, Rin's from a clan. A medically focused one, but it still counts.

I wrinkle my nose just a little bit before glancing back at Rin-chan as she brushes a bit of dust off her arms and then pulls a face. She looks up at me with a single arched brow and I shrug, I honestly don't know what to say. Not that I really can say much even here.

"See anything interesting in there?" the question is so innocuous. Yet the tone, the tone causes us both to jolt and then slowly turn our heads to see Manga standing right there. His hands hidden behind his back, a broad smile on his face with both eyes closed. Slowly those eyes open and remain half-lidded as he gazes at us. "Was Miruku-sama still in there?"

"Skeleton?" I ask automatically, my brain to mouth filter momentarily failing before I can actually stop to think before talking.

"Hai... the skeleton... so Miruku-sama is still there... did she have anything to say?" he asks with a rather lop-sided smile on his face, it's pulling too far to the left. I take several steps back and behind Rin-chan as he steps forwards keeping that lop-sided expression on his face. Surprisingly Rin-chan seems to have the opposite reaction to me. She firms up and her eyes narrow, she gets focused.

Manga pauses only for a moment tilting his head considering before taking more steps forwards. Rin's hand twitches and it shifts, going for a weapon that's just not there. Her pouch is empty... Mine is still full.

"Heh... well, did Miruku-sama have anything to say? A warning perhaps..?"

"Iie!" I shake my head rapidly. The skeleton didn't say anything, in fact I don't think that it's a living one at all.

" _Good"_ Everything in me freezes when he speaks in English. It's only a word, it could be by accident, but it's in the way that he says it. With intent behind it that makes me question everything. Could he possibly be... No, I shake my head rapidly as he gives a sharp toothed grin at us.  "Maybe you two should stay in there a little longer then..." More English and this time I can't write it off as a fluke.

Before I can make a racket about it though he's moving. Faster than most, faster than I did earlier even. Darkness and dust is the next thing I know as I slide across rotting wood and only stop when I hit a pile of boxes that crash down around me. I can't see Rin-chan anywhere in the immediate vicinity and looking up there's a small crack of light that quickly disappears with a solid thud.

"Rin-chan!" I scream out into the darkness even before my eyes have adjusted and struggle back to my feet. Whatever that was it does not bode well for whatever intentions that Manga might have. Also Miruku? Milk... who names their kid milk? Then again, manga is like the comics or you know a manga, harrow. And Kakashi is the scarecrow. The Hatake Clan naming scheme is weird...

Not that the Uchiha Clan's is that much better, or anyone's in this world honestly.

"Rin-chan!" I shout again stumbling in the darkness, somehow it's even darker in here now than it was before. And also, I get this itchy and yucky feeling, as though Rin-chan's not actually in here with me. Tickling and shivering, I squirm a bit as I walk to dislodge any spiders that may or may not be there crawling on me. Hundreds and thousands of tiny feet shuffling all over me, under and over my clothes. This is something straight out of a nightmare...

And then there's a scraping sound, like a chair been dragged against wooden floor boards. I freeze and my breath catches in my throat for a moment.

"Rin-chan?"

"Not exactly warabe..." I jump and spin around noticing pale ghostly arms reaching around me and find myself staring into the face of a glowing woman with flowing silver hair and a soft smile. A sad smile honestly. Illuminated by her glow are thousands of blinking eyes and scuttling spiders. It makes me back away a bit. Because what else am I supposed to do. "Don't be scared warabe. We won't hurt you..." she says and her voice is like a bell.

Soft, and melodious in a way, yet it also has this whine like a mosquito to it and a faint buzz and pop. Also the majority of me is screaming run, run as fast as you can. I take another couple of steps back and then peer around. Boxes of figurines, darkness and the covered mirror. Nothing that could help me at all.

"Don't worry warabe, we're here to help you!" as she speaks the spiders move forwards. And that's when it kind of hits me... She's speaking in English. In a language that doesn't exist here. At least not outside of legends or random made up words that people sometimes interject in their sentences or jutsu to make them unique. I'm one of the few people who knows it. Who would be able to use it... And Manga-san knows it.

"Iie!" I snarl as the spiders and the glowing woman get closer to me before I back away and then scramble over the boxes.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING WARABE? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED OUR HELP!" The shift in temperament is abrupt and following it the ground beneath me seems to actually come alive. More moving, writhing and scuttling spiders. All of them twitching erratically as they scramble over top of one another and over my skin up under my clothing. It's enough to make me scramble and shake and there's too many of them.

I want to curl up, to cry or scream or something.

So many small, deadly venomous arachnids crawling over my body. It's ticklish sure, but it's also terrifying. I close my eyes and crouch down purposefully keeping my mouth closed so that I don't have to have the even more traumatizing experience of having them in my mouth and risk accidentally swallowing one. Laughter echoes in the darkness and I can feel all the wriggling, twitching, scuttling tiny bodies over my own. Please, please don't let any of them bite me. I can feel faint pinches at the edges of my closed eyes and my throat feels like there's a hand grasping it tightening slowly cutting off my breathing.

Just let this end soon please. Please, I don't like been covered in one of my worst fears. Still moving and ooh... this is much worse than simply having a huntsman fall out of your jumper when you remove it. Or one land on you head from fucking no where.

"Don't cry warabe... you'll be able to stay here with us forever soon..."

"You'll be safe..."

"OBITO!" Light flares and there's a shriek and I blink bleerily as the spiders all scramble fleeing from my form. Even the ones under my clothing. I blink and peer up rolling over a bit to stare up at a figure that's framed by light... I honestly can't really see them properly. And then my vision clears and it's Kakashi, with Rin-chan just a bit behind him.

"Ka-ka-shi?" I ask coughing a bit surprised by how dry my throat feels. And how drained I feel. How long was I stuck here, I have no idea. More than long enough probably. It might have been longer, or shorter than I might remember though... "Rin..?"

"Obito... Obito, are you okay?" That's a very stupid question Kakashi. I struggle to make any noise in response and I can see how his brow furrows further in worry.

"Obito-kun..." Rin-chan reaches towards me and I shuffle a bit, just subtly away from her. It's nothing against her really but for a second the ghostly woman's figure is kind of superimposed over Rin's. It's enough to hold me back, I can see how Rin's hurt by my reaction but I don't want to deal with stuff like that right now. I can't.

"S'rry..." I mumble a bit distantly and there's a ringing in my ears as I feel the last few spiders scuttle off me and disappear into the darkness. I loll my head to the side a bit and in the distance I can see the same skeleton from earlier. A faint glow comes from beyond it and I just feel so drained.

My body is heavy, my head fills stuffed with cotton and my limbs are still tingling as though there's still hundreds and thousands of feet and bodies shifting and shuffling over them. My breathing is uneven and stilted, catching and restarting every few moments. My ears are ringing with a low buzz and a high whine. I loll my head back the other way and blink up at Rin and Kakashi.

Their mouths are moving but there's nothing but the whine and buzz in my ears... and faintly the voice of the lady.

"Sleep now warabe..." Sleep sounds nice. My head lolls back in the direction of the skeleton and my eyes droop with me only barely blinking to keep myself awake. Sleep sounds really, really good.

"Hush now warabe... It's time for sleep..." My eyes finally blink themselves shut, darkness. A dreamless sleep, or just plain unconsciousness.


	21. Nōchi Temple: Reverberatio Fractus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how people are saying that this is taking a long time, since according to my timeline, the mission is legitimately only just reaching the third day this chapter.
> 
> Also a shoutout, one of my ff-friends is writing a SI-OC story of their own called Live in the Moment. So go read it, I think that it's off to a fairly decent start.

I'm not exactly sure what rouses me from the darkness, or how much time has passed while I was in it. Was it sleep, or unconsciousness for that matter? Does it even matter, I blink and stare up at a white painted roof. I'm on a futon this time at least, and looking around it seems that I'm in one of the more traditional rooms, there's a sliding rice paper door, tatami flooring, and sliding cupboards. And an open view of a small garden with a small decorative fountain and flowing stream through it. Flowers, and a tree, a sand garden.

I sit up and rub my eyes before blinking. My eyes scan over the numerous bandages wrapped around my arms and body. They're not tight, not loose either but I hadn't noticed that they were even there until I rose my hands to rub at my eyes. And... they're also the only things really covering me. Which, is not exactly comfortable who grew up in a culture that was sensitive about the subject of nudity and personal space and intimacy. Although, even then the views here have altered my perception a bit. Basically, it's not all the same. I mean come on, here my parents are perfectly willing to join me in the bath... along with Sakumo and Kakashi. It's just how it is. Culture and perception and honestly I like not having to feel all squicky about how it's only supposed to be between couples or people who like each other... Or just family.

Also in that vein, you know Shinobi are in many ways weird with intimacy and privacy, typically it's kind of a blasé, well if you really want it to be private you'll trap it and probably place it in a storage seal that's only accessible with your blood, or chakra, or blood and chakra. Also you need to be able to feel safe bathing and changing around your team when on extended missions outside of the village. Trust, and also because it would be just plain humiliating to die when you're taking a bath in the river. Or something equally ridiculous.

But still, those views that linger do still make me twitch a bit at the fact that the bandages are literally all that's covering me aside from the sheets.

No one likes been practically naked in a place that's foreign to them. Not even with the culture that we're growing up in. So I grimace and tug the sheets just a bit to cover me a bit more and then look around the room eyes darting to the corners and trying to see if there's anyone else nearby. Nothing. It seems as if I'm alone here. Somehow that's not in the least bit comforting. Not at all and I narrow my eyes allowing them to dart around again before I close them and take another deep breath.

I can't possibly tell how much time has past.

Obviously, due to the bandages I can assume that I had been hurt. Probably when all those spiders were crawling on me... But I don't remember any pain during that. Or well, much at all honestly. Maybe because of the breathing trouble or sheer amount of them. Who knows. The problem is that doesn't really give me much of an indication of what might have happened, or been happening in the meantime.

Opening my eyes back up I peer out into the garden, by the way that the light falls, it's afternoon. But which afternoon, the same day, or the third... or even the forth. I can't possibly hope to tell on my own. I need to find my team, or someone else and ask what's going on. To catch up. Because otherwise I'm going to be a bit lost. I wipe a hand down my face once more and turn to face the door straining my ears to see if I could pick up even the smallest hint that someone might have been approaching.

Nothing, not even a whisper.

It would be easier to tell if I could just use my chakra to enhance my hearing, even with the pain. Easy, everything is so easy with chakra. And yet I don't really need it. My senses are strong enough without it. Hearing nothing I close my eyes and lower my head taking a deep breath. Two halves flow within me, and along with them the small thread of Natural Energy. Even here it's still there, it can't be removed. It's the world's recognition.

Intellectually I know that it's safe. I know that I belong... kind of. But how long will I continue to reject it on a more instinctive level? My soul, and my chi doesn't recognize it as belonging. My ki does... and with them split due to the seal on this place. I continue to breath and feel the way that both follow slightly different paths. Chi wrapping around in a remembered subconscious pattern where my ki doesn't need to go because there's nothing actually there. And slowly I open my eyes back up, feeling the warmth and the reassurance of both halves and the world itself that I'm still alive.

I'm here.

I belong.

And now I need to get back to my mission.

No one's coming so I look around the room once more. My clothing isn't immediately visible but there are sliding cupboards. It would be a reasonable assumption that they might have been placed in those while I was unconscious right? I take another deep breath and then slip out from under the sheets walking over to the nearest cupboard and sliding it open. Empty aside from white robes that cause me to grimace. The next two cupboards hold the same and finally the forth one has my clothing, goggles resting on top.

A smile twists its way across my face and I quickly pull them on, underwear and pants first. That way if anyone does show up with any decorum of stealth I won't be entirely exposed. I tug my shirt on over my head and then smooth it out rather happy to have the complementary green and blue articles of clothing on in their proper places. My hitai-ate and goggles are soon settled back in their proper places as well, the tails of cloth falling comfortably down my back. Finally I get to work pulling my dark blue boots on, not bothering with the ninja tape because the bandages have that problem pretty much all wrapped up.

I still feel kind of naked and exposed though... The reason, my weapons and weapon holsters are absent. Without them, it just feels off, unbalanced. Hopefully when I catch up with my team I'll be able to just get them back... and some food. I wipe a hand over my mouth and swallow ignoring the roiling feeling in my stomach as it complains about it's empty state.

There's a thump and I stiffen before spinning around to see what caused the sound. Nothing's there. I tilt my head and frown there's nothing immediately obviously out of place. Not at a glance and then I notice a flicker of a familiar figure.

Messy black hair, and dark blue clothing, orange goggles... Before I can really reach for them though they're gone like a mirage and on the ground is a book.

No, it's an album.

A photo album.

Which is surprising, and novel. Considering cameras are the rarest of rare things around here. Shinobi are paranoid by nature. And those who can afford them rarely take pictures, since you know if you're not careful people are liable to stab first and ask questions later. I mean, I know that my parents have a camera, and there are a few pictures of me and Kakashi hanging up around the place that we're still sharing... But still, there's only a few, like one picture a year more or less.

I let myself sit with my back against the wall, legs straight out and the album in my lap. It's got so many pictures that I'm just a touch stunned. I can't believe that this exists. Faces stare up at me from dust covered photos and I can't even... They all have silver hair. Some of them are smiling, some of them aren't and the outfits. Almost everyone in the photos are wearing hakama. The only ones who aren't are the small children in the photos and some of the woman.

Traditional samurai clothing.

I find my hands trailing over the faces fingers clearing the dust away to look at the faces in fascination. I don't know who these people are, but they all bear a certain resemblance to Kakashi, and Manga and Karite-zenshi... and more telling I suppose they all have that same pattern sewn onto their clothing.

Interlocking diamonds.

It's a strange feeling really, recognizing it. Understanding that this is not normal, not really anyway. Yet really what's caught my attention is the clothing, the way that they're dressed and the stances that some of them are in. All ring bells that sound **samurai** more than they do _shinobi_... It sort of explains why Sakumo has been teaching Kakashi a fair bit of kenjutsu actually, and the reason that some of the jutsu that Kakashi's been learner feel weird.

More like bushidojutsu rather than ninjutsu...

Huh. The Hatake are a Samurai Clan before they're a shinobi clan... Explains the whole seppuku thing a bit better actually.

"Obito-chan?" I squeak and lift my head quickly to peer up at the bemused face of Kushina-shishou. Beside her with arms crossed over his chest and expression plainly unimpressed is Kakashi. Rin-chan is on Kushina-shishou's other side peering at me with eyes that are full of questions. I let out a sheepish laugh and I go to lift up the album to show them only...

It's not there.

There's nothing there. Just air, and it's like that moment in a comic or animation where you see the dotted line while the character makes an impressive jaw drop or exclamation of shock.

It would be funny. It would be funny except that I should have noticed if anyone had snatched it. I mean I was focusing on the pictures, and gripping it fairly tightly. Also, I only looked up for mere moments to see my team and to deal with them... Well, okay not really deal with them but still. What the actual freaking flying hell?

Where did it go?

Where did it... I stop my flailing abruptly hearing another strange sound and turning my head automatically to catch sight of the disappearing figure. Navy and orange clothing, messy black hair.

"Wait!"

"Obito-chan!" Kushina-shishou calls after me but I don't pause. "Where are you going 'ttebane?"

I don't slow down allowing my feet to simply guide me as I look in both directions trying to find the figure. Where did they go? More to the point though, who are they? And why do I feel like I need to find them so badly? Eventually I slow my footsteps and end up merely trotting down the halls following nothing, soon enough I stop and close my eyes lowering my head and taking deep breaths in through the nose and blowing out through my mouth.

I don't know what else to do at this point. I've lost whoever it was and- Kushina-shishou scoops me up as I give out a yelp and face her with wide eyes. She has this expression that says she's a mixture of amused and worried. An expression that I'm familiar with. My antics seem to cause it a fair bit. I end up laughing a bit shifting so that I could rub the back of my head sheepishly before pausing and looking back over my shoulder.

There's the figure again, faintly flickering and they're peering around the corner and right at us... They look... they look wistful, and longing.

It's so strange, but I kind of feel like I know them, and I've seen them before.

I don't know why and it makes me squirm as I try to see them better. They lift their head just enough and then seem to gasp before darting back around the corner just as Kushina-shishou releases her grasp on me... And it's like I'm a bullet once more chasing after a flickering figure. Someone who's there but not there, footsteps echoing on the ground.

Until I'm pushing wooden doors opening and stopping in a familiar hall. Stone seats, empty and the alter up the front. Sitting on the alter are four lit candles and standing behind it is one of the Revenants, they're short. About 150cm if I had to rough guess it. That's short, but still taller than Kakashi... but, they're not doing anything.

Jaw hanging loose and separate, they just watch though and their empty sockets meet my eyes and there's... something. I don't know but it makes me take a step back and feel strange. Warm and cool, with a sudden flush of this is right and not right at the same time. And, and I can't even bring myself to react as the door bursts open behind me again, my team once more taking their time to catch up.

And behind the revenant, a glowing ball of white, dripping crimson as Shikyo forms right behind it.

This situation feels familiar for some reason as well. In front of me I can almost see someone, or something forming as well. Black hair, and navy clothing. Fists that curl and clench, I can almost imagine that whoever they are they would have the stubborn set to their jaw and slightly narrowed eyes.

And then Kakashi says something that pretty much sums up most people's interpretations of the situation.

"Obito? What the fuck?"

"Dunno" I probably should have said that in Ikioin but honestly by this point I'm kind of done.

"So you speak it as well!" I can't help it, my head snaps up and I just stare at the revenant as it kind of folds it's arms and rests itself on the alter peering at us. It feels like it's grinning, why is it grinning. "A pity then. Since this is where you're going to die. Because of us, or him, or just because of the other spirits who cares. This is where you-"

"Nope!" I all too cheerfully cut into the revenants ramblings with a smile and close my eyes tilting my head feeling my team's confusion and their shuffling around to find their weapons. "Not yet stubborn." I say opening my eyes back up and kind of smirking at the revenant that inclines it's head as if I just made a point.

"Who cares if you're stubborn!" the creature yells, howls actually launching itself abruptly over the alter and at me. "The debt of blood that the Hatake owe the Adauchi must be paid. And you're part of it!"

That still answers nothing about what's going on, but it does give me a bit of confirmation that this has to have it's roots in the Warring Clans Period. Also I have to dodge faster than I can blink to avoid rotting fingers more like claws and a snapping jaw. What follows could almost have the yakety sax music playing in the background as we all scatter and start running around avoiding flying objects curtsy of Shikyo and a very angry revenant.

It's actually kind of hilarious since I pull the old whack-a-mole trick at one point using the gaps beneath the seating to scoot around and briefly poke my head up before ducking back down moments later. And by the end I stand atop the alter meeting the glare of the revenant while Shikyo is being glared down by Rin-chan and Kushina-shishou and Kakashi are across the room.

I actually wind up grinning and crossing my arms over my chest peering down at the revenant who growls and looks up at me a faint glow coming to their sockets.

"Can I ask who?" I ask and that actually causes them to pause for a moment before they snarl, smug, sure of themself.

"You're Judge and Executer is me, Adauchi Karari! The one you killed... was my mother Adauchi Gaidoku! NOW DIE!" It's easy enough to slip right below them as they go flying into the wall behind the alter... where they also get stuck.

"Sorry!" I'm not sorry at all. In fact I'm almost too happy about that trick. I mean it was so freaking obvious, they should have seen that one from a mile away... Or as soon as I started playing whack-a-mole as the mole. I mean that should have been a give away.

Then again, I get the feeling that anyone focusing on revenge, even undead almost unstoppable beings are kind of idiotic and genre blind.

I mean think of Sasuke, did he have to do the bullshit that he did...

Also canon Madara.

It's just ugh. But still, I'm feeling triumphant about this. The kind of rub your hands in glee and grin like the worlds falling apart around you and you're the cause, kind of triumph. I mean come on, how often do you get to do something like that and have it succeed, not often enough.

And now to deal with Shikyo...

Wait Kakashi's handling it. The Onryō shrieks and covers her face before fleeing through the same wall that I've gotten Karari to get stuck in. The candles flicker and before anyone can react they just go out with a faint fwish sound.

"Can you hear something?" that's Rin, and I pause at her question, because yeah there is a strange noise. And then the revenant stuck in the wall lets out that echoing wailing shriek and there's laughter, and then a sentence in English.

"Say hi to the Shinigami for me! Oh, and my twin!"

"Who was that?"

"Obito-chan?"

"Wasn't me! Sounded, wasn't!" it sounded like me though. But it wasn't. And then the candles seem to light themselves, and it's eerie seeing a bit of fire float through the air and bounce from candle to candle before shaking itself out and then the wall creaks and groans and Kushina-shishou is right there standing defensively in front of us and the wall just splits apart grinding and complaining as dust tumbles down and then Kakashi's gasping and Kushina's frowning and Rin is moving ahead reaching for... she yanks her hand back and looks around startled.

The flickering figure. And I wasn't the only one to see it this time. That's a sign that I'm probably not crazy... Probably, I mean I am a shinobi. That's half-way to crazy already honestly.

But still, we all saw them that time. And finally the grinding halts and the dust clears and the first thought that flashes through my mind is. _'Shit, more dead bodies!'_ right up until I recognize that they're actually mannequins and my brain corrects it to _'Shit, Dead mannequins!'_ Never let it be said that I'm entirely sane. Then again honestly who is. Everyone is insane in their own unique way.

But aside from that, my eyes dart around the room. Fallen mannequins, broken stone, and then my eyes catch on the weaponry that's hanging up on the far wall. Surprisingly well maintained despite the state of the rest of the room. Clean, clear, and the weapons are sheathed and kept in order.

It's something that I want to question, and then Kakashi grabs me and pulls me back and I look down at the ground. Now that I'm focusing, there's more than the stone, sand, water, water mixed with sand that's slowly swirling in a contained pit... Barbed fences and... it looks like an obstacle course. Broken down and left to rot, but still recognizable now that I'm actually focusing on it.

What the fuck?

Just what the actual factual fuck?

How is there an obstacle course here. Isn't this supposed to be a temple? I'm smelling something foul. There's something off about the situation, and I'm sure those revenants have at least some relevance to it. Also the album, Samurai versus Shinobi. Kakashi makes a small sound from beside me and I look up automatically at him as he tilts his head and frowns mouthing to himself behind his mask.

I hate it when he does that, since none of us can see what he's mouthing.

Rin-chan moves a little bit further into the room herself and I can see the way that Kushina-shishou's expression has shifted to more calculating. Has firmed up in a way, and then there's footsteps. We all turn around and I narrow my eyes. It's Karite-zenshi. Robes unruffled, hair still in place, and yet. He's got one hand on a sheathed wakizashi by his side.

"I really should congratulate you on finding this Shinobi." he speaks in an even tone tilting his head just slightly to the side. My eyes narrow in response and I can feel Kakashi tense just slightly and Kushina-shishou remains calculating while Rin looks at him confused. "Unfortunately, you're not welcome here. Not in this room." alarm bells start to ring in my head as the man straightens and looks right at us eyes closed and expression disarming.

He feels dangerous.

He feels like Sakumo when he's mad. Or my Okaasan, or Otousan... Angry guardian incoming. I think that my reaction is more than justified as I make a noise and shift my head so that I'm not looking right up at the man to see any of his disappointment or anger, or whatever expression he's making. Kakashi on the other hand moves to kind of shield me and I can hear Rin-chan's sigh as if she just can't deal with the way we're reacting.

Kushina's hand comes down onto my head and I squark before she offers a grin to Karite who's stopped. His expression has evened out and he feels less dangerous. More sagely and like he felt the last times I ran into him.

"I... Apologize. I was not intending to scare you." he stated and removed his hand from his wakizashi. "I merely need you to-"

"Hey!" my heart actually momentarily stops at the voice and it's like everything freezes. Karite's hand is back on his weapon and a dark look has settled on his face. "Ojiisan what are they doing in the Training Room?"


	22. Nōchi Temple: Mirror Speculi

I don't actually entirely follow what happens next... Not really, since everything just kind of seems to explode into chaos and action. It's loud and confusing and I can't follow anything that's going on. It's just overwhelming and instead I end up dropping down to the ground and clasping my hands over my ears to try and block out at least a small amount of the noise. It doesn't really help when metal clashes against metal and there's a dragging scraping noise that echoes from the stones.

It's painful.

It's painful and I feel my fingers twist into my head trying to block out the noise. Trying to prevent myself from experiencing too much of a sensory overload. Everything is just too loud now. Probably because my hypersensitivity to chakra and natural energy previously served as something of a buffer in regards to the other kind of over stimulation. Sensory overload on that front is manageable. On this one not so much.

My senses really are strong enough without the boost that chakra would give them.

Or ki, or chi for that matter.

And yet I still push past this. Push it away and even though I'm wincing I force myself to try and pay attention to what's happening. Karite is radiating fury, uncontrolled and blazing while Manga is snarling and clutching his knife in a white-knuckled grip. Kakashi's also pulled out his own blade and his eyes are ash and burning. Rin and Kushina-shishou are both ready with their own weapons as well, although they look moderately more relaxed when compared to the Hatakes. It's probably to be expected I think... something is wrong here.

Something is wrong though and I find myself frowning with a lump in my throat trying to place where the wrongness is coming from.

"Can you hear me?" I twitch at the familiar voice. Especially because it seems no one else heard it. No one else is reacting to it anyway. They're all too busy snarling at one another, or standing ready to leap into the fray for themselves. "Can you see me?"

I can't see anyone aside from those in front of me. Yet I still shift and try to see who's speaking. I need to know, and yet there's nothing. No one. Aside from us and the two Hatakes who manage the temple. The final revenant is still missing, elsewhere in the temple really and I don't know who else could possibly-

"Hello!"

I jump and spin around to come face to face with the source of the voice. A wide and bright grin. Spiky black hair kept at bay by a hitai-ate, familiar goggles around his neck. Dark onyx eyes that match my own and familiar blue and orange clothing from pictures from another lifetime. He steps back and folds his arms behind his back before tilting his head. The grin widens and then he brings one hand up to his mouth and holds a single finger over it. Asking me to remain silent.

I give a quick glance back over to the fight going on across the room before returning my gaze to the konpaku.

"Follow me... Please. There's something you need to see!" He says and then motions for me to follow him after racing back to the room's exit. I give one last glance over at my companions before shrugging and following after him.

What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

Later when I'm standing in front of a familiar stone door I curse myself for asking that question as the konpaku sort of stands beside me and stares at the door. He looks at me and grins before walking forwards... and right through the stone door. I very carefully don't allow myself to react beyond a bit of a shudder and wrapping my arms around me to hug myself. I don't want to go back into the room with the yūrei.

I don't want to face the Sasagani-Otome.

Not again. Not ever really. And yet I'm still here and I take several deep breaths to brace myself before lifting a hand ready to push open the door and enter the room.

"Obito?" I actually flinch before turning to face the one who called me. Rin's standing right there, she looks confused. Her eyes darting from me to the stone door and back again. "What are you doing?" she asks and I don't know how to respond. I furrow my brow and turn to face her fully before bringing my hands up and signing what I'm able to.

"Konpaku, lead here." she frowns and narrows her eyes at the door. "Friend. Not dangerous... told trust"

"Obito-"

"Inari, told trust!" I sign this fiercely before dropping my arms back to my sides, twitching a bit and then raising them to cross over my chest and half-glare at Rin stubbornly.

"If you say so..." Rin rolls her eyes and then she sighs. "Although isn't _Inari_ one of the the _trickster gods_?"

I shrug. Probably, but even if they are a trickster. They're still trustworthy where it counts. Honestly, all the celestial beings I know have trickster traits. Probably because if you really were a god/goddess it would get incredibly boring after a long time so... You would want to do something, anything to make things more entertaining. Loki is the more egregious examples of a trickster god. On the other hand though, bored celestial beings tend to also go off and have sex and kids with mortals...

It's probably for the best then that Inari is a trickster.

I very carefully don't think about the second option, because that will bring up wonderings about the Prime timeline that I don't think anyone wants to think... Although I will be coming back to this train of thought.

I will.

I rapidly shake my head and then give a strained grin to Rin who's looking at me with an expression that says she knows what I was just thinking. She doesn't approve. To be fair though I don't approve either.

I don't need to be wondering whether or not one of my parents was some god/goddess on the run from their proper place in the celestial realm. I just don't. Although considering how broken Kamui is/was and the fact that Obito just kept escaping death by the very tips of his nails... you kind of have to wonder.

Also what celestial being...

Chronos, one of the various deaths... who knows?

I rapidly shake my head again and then offer a sheepish grin to Rin. She's got one hand over her mouth in amusement. I take a deep breath and then kind of blow it out before turning to look back at the stone door. The one which _he_ walked through earlier.

"Riin?" I look over at her tentatively, nervous. Because I want a bit of company when going back in there. I don't want to face the Sasagani-Otome alone. Not a second time, I might have a complete meltdown if that were to happen. "Come with?"

"Of course, I'll be right here." she says and I can feel myself react just slightly and then I once more reach for the stone door. Only for it to grind itself open without me even touching it. Rin grips me by the arm and tugs me back as it complains and eventually booms when it fully opens. Dust billows out and around us and I can feel Rin's grip tighten on my arm as footsteps echo from behind us.

"Obito, Rin? What's going on 'ttebane?" I look up to see Kushina-shishou right there along with Kakashi. Does that mean that Karite and Manga sorted out whatever was going on between them earlier... does that mean that problem is dealt with. Or am I reading too far into that? Laughter echoes and we all snap our heads to face the open stone door.

And... the flood of spiders rushing towards us from within.

When I freeze it's perfectly justified. I mean spiders... especially when it's just a moving carpet of them. That's not something that anyone wants to face after going through a **highly traumatic** experience with them, just _barely_ a _single day previous_. Rin-chan and Kakashi don't look that happy to see the spiders either. Kushina-shishou is just furious, with fire in her eyes and hair twisting into tails. Yet they all split and go around us.

Even as more laughter echoes and then footsteps. I slowly unfreeze and inch closer to Kushina-shishou, hands twisting to half dig into the excess cloth from her shirt. And slowly as we watch a familiar figure appears. The same konpaku who lead me back here. Face lit up in a grin, goggles now over his onyx eyes and hitai-ate clearly visible. Rin frowns and mouths my name questioning and I shake my head at the same time that he does.

"Nope! You can call me Tobi!" he says before motioning for us to follow him still grinning. "Now come on... You need to see this!"

"Tobi..." I mutter, it's familiar. Very familiar and of course following that I almost automatically tack on the infamous statement. "Tobi is a good boy!"

"You bet I am!"

I laugh a touch hysterically at the response while Kushina calms down and then cheerfully drags us in. Following the konpaku into the darkness. It's strange, and as we follow it feels eerily similar to when we first entered the temple. Eyes on us, judging with a heavy weight hanging over us in the air. Also, we're walking towards a white sheet covering a standing mirror. I feel my feet drag the closer we get even as the familiar boy becomes visible once more.

He stands with his arms behind his back and a more nervous half-grin on his face, rather than the cheeky grin he'd been wearing earlier. He looks between us and the mirror and suddenly I'm struck with this weird urge to ask if the sheet is covering something like the Mirror of Erised. Considering fuinjutsu could probably be used to create something similar it's not as far fetched as what some people might automatically believe.

Also we know that celestial beings exist so who knows. Maybe it's a god or goddess' artifact.

"Please..." he says his eyes meeting my own and there's a kind of thrill that goes through me. He wants me to face my reflection. "Steps need to be taken..."

"Accept myself..." I sign and he nods his head. "reflection... you are."

"Yep!" He holds the sheet in his hands and both Rin and Kakashi share confused looks while Kushina-shishou narrows her eyes and looks contemplative. "Maybe without the weight of the world... you'll be able to accept it easier..." he says it in English as he yanks off the sheet and disappears into nothing leaving us staring at our reflections. I shrink back from the mirror just a little bit and press myself against Kushina-shishou's leg.

My reflection does the same and honestly... How can I even describe the child in the mirror. Chubby cheeks with messy spiky black hair kept out of my eyes due to my hitai-ate. Pale skin, and dark obsidian eyes that are protected by the orange tinted lenses of my goggles. Dark blue short sleeved shirt with orange lining the collar and tips of the sleeves, dark green shorts also with orange lining the base of them. Dark blue boots, and currently a series of bandages that just barely poke past the edges of my clothing.

All in all, I look like a stranger.

Nothing like the lanky teen with pale limbs and a spot covered face. Black hair rather than brown, and obsidian rather than hazel eyes. And my features are more child-like, and cherubic... and also, more delicately built. Slightly less square and more round, and my features are sort of less defined... though that could still be the baby-fat.

It's not exactly comforting to see.

Not when I still can't quite, can't quite connect myself to the person in the mirror. To the stranger in my reflection. Not when I'm still a _replacement_ for the original one. A _pretender_ and a _liar_ who's only just beginning to... to know.

 _I belong._ Even if it's a stranger in the mirror.

 _I'm here._ Even though everything is different now.

 _I'm Tamara._ Even though my name is now _**OBITO**_.

 _I'm still me._ And I'm also him.

"I'm still me... and I'm also him..." I mutter to myself and curl my hands up. "Not a thief... when it's a gift." And I stretch a hand out to rest it on the cool metal(glass?) that holds my reflection. The stranger, the new face that is me. "Gift..." I look up at Kushina-shishou nervous, vulnerable. I don't know how much this reveals about me, how much it might give away, or not give away. What kind of assumptions they would have about it. "I... belong... hai?"

"Of course you do Obito!" I look over to Kakashi with wide eyes, confused eyes. "Why wouldn't you? Maybe you're a bit broken... but, you still made it this far didn't you?" he tilts his head and I can see the way that his eyes crinkle up just ever so slightly.

"Reflection... not me." it's... a sore spot. And it's not just because of the different appearance, and the fact that it's really _not me_. It's supposed to be someone else, and I'm supposed to be someone else. The person in the mirror is a stranger. I close my eyes and lower my head my hand half curling where it rests against the cool surface of the mirror like ice. "Not me... Someone different..." I say raising my head back up and meeting the eyes of my reflection. "Not me... not who inside." How do I make it reflect who I am...

If I had access to my chakra, I would probably throw up a Henge. Just to see my original self for once, a small reminder of who I once was.

Also all the Academy three have their solid counterparts. Bunshin is a genjutsu, as is the basic henge, and Kawarimi requires something to actually replace yourself with. But each of course has a leveled up counterpart. Kage Bunshin, or the Shadow Clones is obvious. But then there's the solid henge or the kaihen. And the kirikaemi, which basically poofs something into existence for you to replace yourself with. Most people still call the latter two by their basic names though.

"I don't think that anyone's reflection is quite who they are inside Obito." Rin says as she moves to stand just a bit closer to me. I look away from my reflection and at her feeling so lost.

"I know..?" It almost came out as a question before I look away again. "It's just... not who supposed to be... here. I belong... but don't..." not with the extra memories. Not as I am. I'm broken, and pieced together in ways that are not quite right. With the sharp edges apparent and it's too easy for people to get cut, or to shatter me more. "All wrong..."

"No you're not!" Kakashi is insistent, and Kushina-shishou is glaring at my reflection, at me. Disagreeing with my statement. "If you were all wrong then you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have been able to... keep going. Obito, you're not wrong."

"Broken... wrong. Sick and not right." I shake my head and step back and away from the mirror glaring at the stranger in the mirror. The reflection that's just not me. "reflection all wrong. 'M not... not right." I curl my hands and close my eyes. The not right statement isn't even just because of the fact that I'm not supposed to be here, not supposed to be able to remember and understand. But it's also about everything else.

My gender, and the way that it feels.

 _I'm not supposed to be a boy._ I was originally born a girl.

Even if I'm honestly neither. Even if I'm _**Agender**_ , I would feel more comfortable in a female body. Or just in a different body in general. One that's all entirely my own, with no previous attachments in my mind. Nothing that will drive me to hate myself, and feel an itch that I just can't scratch. A subtle thing that just... it's all because I am who I am really.

Dysphoria sucks, especially when there's no reason for it.

Well, no logical reason for it...

"Hey! I don't hold it against you! I don't care. You can keep this life" I jolt at the voice and my eyes snap open to dart up to stare at Tobi. He grins down at me and then proudly moves his goggles up to where the lense is covering the symbol on his hitai-ate. Kakashi moves closer to my side to glare up at the konpaku boy who simply laughs and kicks out his legs. He doesn't have a reflection. "It's not like you had a choice about being born after all..."

"Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance." I mutter the remembered quote from Jean-Paul Sartre almost resigned.

"Pretty much!" He agrees laughing. "No one chooses to be born, and then they keep living... though whether that's weakness depends on how you view it..."

"Death strikes randomly." Kushina-shishou chimes in, holding up a hand and smiling. "Without pattern or reason, chance."

"Death claims all... end."

"Really is Hufflepuff right?" Tobi says jumping down to land in front of me... and oh hey he's a couple of centimeters taller than me. Go figure that it's likely due to my health issues and chakra hypersensitivity then.

"What's a Hufflepuff?"

I very carefully ignore Kakashi's muttered confusion and instead glare at the konpaku, and then my reflection as he laughs and just disappears. Yet that furious expression slides away to be replaced by a lost one. I don't know how to accept any of this. I mean, I know I need to. Another step in the right direction, but... how do I begin to accept it. How do I begin to take the steps in the right direction... If just facing my reflection has sent me back to _liarthiefpretenderfake_ how am I supposed to accept that I'm not...

How am I...

I, I'm the only Obito they've ever known. And Tobi, the konpaku version of the original. He asked us to call him something different. Not his name... not _my name._ He asked us to call him Tobi... He accepted that I was him. He...

I can see the shine on my eyes in the reflection and automatically wipe an arm over my eyes to try and wipe it away.

"Are you crying Obito?" Rin sounds worried and I dropped my arm back down to look at her. I nod my head and then wrap my arms around myself unsure whether or not to say anything. Or even if I could find the words to explain things without explicitly revealing the things that should probably remain secret. My status as a reincarnate for example... it's likely to remain a secret until I am fully sure of my place here.

Until I'm fully able to say with certainty in my own head. Until I'm able to say it with conviction. I'm Uchiha Obito... _I'm Uchiha Obito._ And not a replacement, not a pretender or liar. Not Tamara... Not Tammy, not Hybrid. I'm Uchiha Obito...

But that's still years away.

I take a deep shuddering breath and blink away the remaining tears before looking my reflection in the eyes again. And then I take another deep breath and pull up a strained, accepting smile.

There's a kind of click within me and I abruptly drop down shaking. It's not exactly pain, but the sensation is so weird that it get's translated as pain to my mind. Which of course causes my team to all react and circle around me worried. Kushina-shishou scoops me up and I wince. It's weird, because I can still feel the click, like something has just slid in place and I can't quite understand what it is. And it hurts but doesn't hurt, not exactly pain but a sensation that's put me off balance. Bright fills the room abruptly and the door groans causing us to all snap our attention to it.

My hand curls in the cloth of Kushina-shishou's shirt again. And I can see my weapons pouch lying on the ground in front of us. Beside Miruku's skeleton. And the door groans again before swinging open and illuminated by a red glow from outside is Manga. He's gripping a knife loosely in his left hand and a snarl is on his face as he glares at us.

There's something wrong about his eyes. They're not the right colour.

"Akuma..."

"Possession..." I say at the same time that Tobi says his piece. My free hand curls into a fist and I bare my teeth. I still feel weird, the sensation of a click eerie and keeping me of balance. I'm going to have to figure it out later. Because things are about to come to a head. There's a snarl from behind us and Rin spins around gasping. I don't turn, so I don't know what's there, but Kushina-shishou does.

Which leaves me and Kakashi facing his itoko. It's two on one... And then Tobi materializes between us, hands curled into fists and teeth bared in a snarl... Okay, that makes three on one... Or five on two, if the snarling from behind us is any indication.

"Adauchi... Time to put old grudges to rest then..." Tobi says and then he smirks. "Allow us to solve that situation then... Hatake-baka." Kakashi looks both insulted and accepting and I feel a smirk cross my own face.

Time for us to wrap things up really.


	23. Nōchi Temple: Darkest Before Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just a little reminder. This Obito does have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Which means that they do get overstimulated at times, which is not fun. They occasionally get caught up in their own head, and memories, which lead to irregularities with what's happening in reality. Or their senses get overstimulated leading to sensory overload, both variations generally lead to anxiety. Dysphoria can get caught up in this as well, and that can lead to a bit of detachment, when they retreat from the situation.
> 
> On the other end of the spectrum, they may occasionally experience understimulation. Or a lack of exposure to stimuli, there's not enough to hold their attention and everything feels a bit... unreal. This can also cause anxiety, and the fact that they've been out of touch with their chakra for about three days now is leading to some of this...
> 
> Also the main reason that they're not freaking out more over this mission going wrong is that it was already a C-Rank and they already expected that it would go wrong in some way. Therefore it was predictable to a degree and not as abrupt a rush of new stimuli as it could have been. Also for anyone who cares and who's made it this far, their ASD is also a factor why they still have issues with their body and identity.
> 
> Finally, please, please, please respect the choice of pronouns. They identify as **_Agender_** and use Gender Neutral pronouns: they/their/theirs/them/themself. So please use their proper pronouns in the reviews.

Time for things to click into place. Time for this mess to be cleaned up.

Deep breath, hands curling, narrowing eyes and the slightest barring of teeth.

A blink and action.

No weapons, so instead it's darting around, trying to simply reach my pouch. Avoid the glint of silver, duck and roll. Clash of metal against metal over my head as Kakashi blazes forwards dark eyes glaring at his own cousin. At his own itoko, at his family. Although really Manga deserves the glare. More than anything else.

Hand curling around the cloth of the belt part of my weapons pouch. Jolting up and rolling under Manga's swing. A weird sort of follow up and I feel the way my foot slams into his chin, sending his head snapping back. Probably quite painful as well with the way his jaw would slam shut and click shut. Kakashi leaps over me swiping with his own kunai, just barely falling short of a proper devastating blow.

It's easy enough for me to clip my pouch back in it's proper place before quickly ducking down as Rin-chan sends our other problem flying overhead and slamming into Manga, crashing them both into the wall. Tobi laughs gleefully kicking his feet out and manifesting once more in front of me.

I actually don't know why he disappeared only to reappear like this. Either way a ball of shadows and darkness spins above his hand and it's like a chill rushing through the room.

"Shadow Ball..." I can't help but recognize the move. It's one of the things I just can't help but recognize, after all I was a huge Pokéfan. Tobi grins as the revenant on Manga growls and leaps forwards he throws his arm forwards and it's marvelous.

Shadows that explode out, darkness the engulfs for mere moments before slipping away and it howls it's fury dropping mid leap. Kakashi and Rin are both gaping at Tobi while Kushina-shishou... simply takes the chance to fly forwards striking both of our opponets, sending them flying in different directions.

I don't quite know how that works, but I take it fishing out one of my own kunai and barring my teeth. It would be easy enough to just... And the grounds gone from beneath me, Kakashi's hand is gripping my collar, keeping me from tumbling down into an abyss. Shadows dance and Rin-chan narrows her eyes shifting her stance. Laughter, hollow and empty. Echoing in that eerie way that you hear in horror movies, or in a reading of Jeff the Killer.

It's not a nice laugh.

It's not a good laugh.

It's not a natural laugh.

Dark and echoing, with just that small hint of madness.

"Bad... not Manga..." that's not Manga, and it's certainly not the remaining Revenant. Not the father revenant that's making the noise. Rotting flesh and scrabbling exposed finger bones on the stone. "Bad... Bad, bad, this is not good!" English, despite everything it's still my default. Me, it's still me.

"What is that?" Tobi startles and whips his head around in confusion abruptly he yelps and actually disappears. Darkness stirs from the abyss that I'm still hanging over, Kakashi's eyes widen and he yanks me back up as there's a howl, and a red glow rises and floods over us from the hole.

' _Danger, Danger... abort, abort! Pull out, pull out!'_ Sirens begin to ring in my head, I feel my pupils shrink and kind of shuffle backwards. Hands raising themselves to shield me as another flood of red light rises up and washes over the room. Manga's rolled over and is half crouched in place, his own face a mixture of confusion and fear. _'Danger, danger... TOO LATE!'_ I scramble falling backwards as there's a rush and the laughter rises in volume.

Dark, oppressive, wrong.

Shadows that curl and loom, stretch and grasp. Rin gasps, and Kakashi swears as they pounce. Manga yelps and Kushina-shishou rips and tears them apart, a halo of red-orange around her the Kyubi's power breaking through the seal.

"This is where you end!" It's the remaining revenant, pushing itself back up. Sockets glowing with the same red that twists and spins in the air. "The debt of blood that is owed shall be claimed!"

"NO!" I howl ducking beneath the looming shadows and scrambling around the hole. A bright glow, a dangerous glow. "NO!" I shake my head, even as I stand alone across from the vengeance driven being.

This is a mistake.

A chill up and down my spin, an instinctive shiver even as my grasp tightens on the single weapon in my grip. I have scrolls, I have seals, tucked away in pockets, easily activated using blood.

But this is still a mistake.

I'm not even half the size of the remaining revenant. Not after it's bulked up due to the leaking oppressive energy that permeates the room.

"Obito!" Kakashi and Rin both sound so worried. Kushina-shishou is still fighting, snarling howling curses. Her hair whipping around.

"Obito!" Tobi manifests, beside me with worry in his eyes. Expression fearful even as my hand still curls further.

A painful grip, the guard on the hilt of the kunai digging into my palm. Solid and heavy, and the aura, the energy. It's like I'm drowning even without chakra buzzing and stinging, burning in a body that's not quite accepting it.

And yet I can feel both energies. No. I feel all three. My personal energies, Ki, Chi. And the world's energy, Natural Energy, let's call it Acror.

I can feel them. And I just know... I know what to do.

A twist, a pull, a breath and energy swirls around me, flicking red, then violet, the white of Acror and melding together into a blazing orange halo around me. Chakra, there's always a way around a problem if you try hard enough. If you're creative enough. If one solution doesn't work, just try another.

My hands move, a well remembered pattern. Narrowed eyes, a howl of disbelief and...

"Suiton: Namikabe!" Water that rises up pulled seemingly from nowhere. It's a giant wave that flows behind me. I spread my arms out feeling it and, moving. Water that rushes me forwards, a momentum that I have to keep. Kunai shifting, the revenant howls, furious and lashes out. Bone against steel and skating backwards through ankle high water. Red light dances, shadows lunge and shift darting in to grab me, to consume me and Tobi's right there.

A halo of his own light, his own balls of shadows and ghostly energy being flung to break them apart even as I gather chakra together again, stretching my focus to meld them together myself.

Rather than automatic, piecing them back together so that I can do this.

More hand signs.

These ones so familiar, to anyone who's ever had to deal with an Uchiha.

_Tora, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora_

"But that's not fair..." The revenant actually whines as I feel it. Rising heat, a rush of power and for the first time I can really remember it's fire that flows out in a ball that swells carving it's way forwards to consume the revenant.

"I-I..." I blink rapidly as the red glow begins to drain, as the water dribbles away and the shadows retreat. "Katon?"

"Obito! You did it!" Kakashi sounds so proud and I find myself flopping down. Everything hurts honestly, all my muscles pulled tight and suddenly lax. As though I've been running for hours and desperately need a break. All I do is make a kind of whine sound even as the room lightens back up and the hole fills itself back in.

There's an insane bark of laughter and our heads snap back around to stare at Manga. He's standing right by Miruku's skeleton and holding his knife, that's actually dripping with crimson. And his own arm is trailing lines of red as well. He lifts his head and bares his teeth at us before gesturing with the knife.

"You really are something aren't you? Think that you're so special! So what... you still have to-"

He yelps as he's cut off by Tobi who just shoves him into the open closet behind him and cheerfully locks the door. The konpaku cheerfully wipes his hands together before sticking out his tongue at us and disappearing.

"That happened 'ttebane..." Kushina-shishou says and I find myself forcing a grin. Because it's not something that you really think about. Not something that you ever consider happening really. And what else was there even to say about it. What could we say...

My head lifts up. I can hear a familiar voice. A familiar demanding voice that's full of worry and anger and...

I push myself to stand up only to almost collapse straight back down. The only reason I don't hit the stone is because Kakashi catches me. I lean on him my legs feeling like wet tissue as I struggle to even find the smallest bit of support in them.

"Okaasan!" I call and Kakashi's head snaps up, his eyes widen, and that's pretty much his oh crap face. I ignore it, and instead call again. "Otousan!"

The door kind of blasts open and both of my parents are standing there. Along with Karite-zenshi, who looks rather ruffled. The last of the water on the floor drains away and I shift. Stumbling a few steps and Kakashi doesn't have time to try and catch me again. Instead Otousan is right there and I snuggle. Okaasan glares around the room before finding Kushina-shishou and frowning.

"The mission was only supposed to be for a few days." Her voice is low and Kushina-shishou merely shrugs while Kakashi sighs and rolls his eyes.

"'t was..." I mumble sleepily into Otousan's chest and he frowns. Brow furrowing up in an expression that bleeds confusion.

"It's been a week and two days." Okaasan says rather dryly and my mind just slams into a wall. Because what... Isn't this only the third day. Kakashi rapidly blinks, Rin gasps and Kushina-shishou frowns before snapping her fingers together.

"Kakashi, Obito, you two found a seal underneath the temple right?" No tick... I slowly nod my head, it was pretty much under the temple anyway. I mean, stairs that lead downwards behind the statue of Tsukuyomi. And we still haven't investigated the other set of stairs, the one's the lead up behind Amaterasu. "I think that maybe we should look at that properly 'ttebane!" she says nodding her head while Karite-zenshi blinks and mouths seal.

I push up my goggles to rub a hand over one eye and yawn.

Yeah, whatever, she can deal with that... Or whatever... I don't really care. They can deal with that, I'll just...

There's a kind of tremble, and if I were a canine I just know that my ears would have twitched. I still feel the kind of perk up feeling, the slight movement. I lift my head and turn it in the direction of the feeling, of the strange disturbance. Instinctive almost, a sniff and I struggle to try and force myself onto my feet. To head over and investigate.

I don't make it all that far. Not really, but at the same time, it's much further than I expected honestly.

I still feel way too drained.

Probably because I literally had to actively meld the chakra together to use it rather than have it happen passively due to the way my coils, and everyone else's work. A lot more effort rather than the instinctive natural way it usually works.

I close my eyes and half lower my head taking deep breaths. And just feeling the way things are. It's been three days for us, and that's counting today...

Yet Okaasan and Otousan are under the impression that we've been on this mission for a week and two days, so nine days. What's the maths for that? Right, so it's a thirty-three percent fraction(more or less), but there's still the tricky maths, because it's three times twenty-four, which is seventy-two hours when it's actually been two hundred and sixteen... how do we divide that..?

216/72 is..? Pretty much three hours... so for every one hour in here it's been three out there... huh?

Is that the correct maths, I don't even know. It feels correct, but I haven't bothered to really think about it for ages.

"One for three..." I mutter and Kakashi frowns. "One for... Three..." That seems familiar... It's familiar and I scrunch up my nose, furrowing my brow to try and figure out why. Actually it might just be another Pokémon thing, since you only get one of the three starters. No... No that doesn't seem right. "It's a one is three thing..." I hum and start to do the whole side to side thing with my head. Wagging it kind of like a tail honestly. "One is three, and the space is... space is..." I snap my fingers together, suddenly remembering, the small games.

Time shifting, and time differences.

"Book! Book!" I cheerfully wave my hands. "Music box! We're in..." the wound up and closed music box. As long as the music is playing time runs, though at a comparatively slower rate than the time on the outside of the box. I can't even remember the books title, I just remember that it had a dog on the cover that I continually and consistently mistook for a teddy bear. "Music box... turn key... wind up!" And let the music play, to allow time to flow. "Clock barrier!" Also that.

Like in Finders Keepers, and it's sequel The Timekeeper... also the books would always be better than the movies for those ones!

Of course that doesn't really help, not honestly. Although it would explain why things are so weird about this. Also, a clearer understanding of just why our chakra isn't quite mixing. The energy in here is subtly removed from the energy outside of the Temple. A couple of steps the the left where outside is further to the right.

Yet that still doesn't quite...

"Turn the key?" Rin-chan's confused statement shakes me out of my thought train and I look up, between her, and Kakashi and everyone else. Kushina-shishou honestly seems to be the only person who's even managed to remotely follow my babble.

Either way I just enthusiastically nod my head.

"Hai! Key, turn, wind up... set start!" Which might actually indicate the the revenants may have a rest button. A set state to zero default save. Which would be painful to deal with. Or it could just be a clock that's purposefully made to run just that little bit weirdly to generally warp the way space and time work here.

Either option does mean that we need to do some digging. Dealing with fuinjutsu, that seal that we saw earlier.

"Wind up?" Kakashi frowns before something seems to click and it's like he get's paler. "Like a wind up clock..."

"Hai! Hai!" I wave my hands happily, far too happily honest.

"Or a music box playing a tune... But... what's the key then?" he frowns and I actually pause. That's... that's a very good question. If this is like a giant clock to create the time bubble... where's the key to set it going? Even a music box needs a key before you can play it... at least most of them do.

Though there are a few that just need...

A...

Battery...

It clicks.

"Shikyo!"

"What about the Onryō?" Kakashi looks back at me confused while Okaasan's eyes narrow at the word Onryō, I shake my head rapidly and push my hands flat against the stone beneath me. A growl, barring my teeth because that's just cruel, even to something that only remains due to wrath. "Obito... What about her?"

"Battery..."

"Battery?" Both Rin and Kakashi echo the statement kind of blankly and I have to roll my eyes.

"Hai... battery... to charge!"

"They're saying that she's what keeps this place the way it is... Her anger and rage, the power she has... It creates the bubble that's slightly displaced the temple from the natural time stream..." Tobi materializes and I can see the way both my parents startle. The almost movement from Okaasan and the distant sadness in Otousan's eyes. I want to ask, I want to open my mouth and ask but Tobi just plows on ahead. Translating my thoughts. "Like a battery, in a stop watch, or clock that you hang up on the wall, or might set an alarm on... or in the fridge... though that's plugged in." he shrugs before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and disappearing.

"Definitely a Kanshisha..." Karite-zenshi says in the silence that follows as my team mates, and Kushina-shishou take their time to digest the statement. "What kind though..."

"Konpaku... Seishin..." since he's just a spirit, but at the same time, maybe as a joke. "Mitsukai?" and I snicker. Because if there's anything that Tobi isn't, it's an angel. As soon as the humour fades though I yawn and push my goggles up to rub at my eyes. Again, I still feel so tired, so drained.

Another yawn, bigger this time and Okaasan is right there. Gently lifting me up and holding me in her arms as I sort of rest my head against her shoulder. As I feel the energy in her and... it's still normal.

The way it usually is...

Something is wrong...

Something is...

Something's...

Shikyo.

Danger. Darkness. Tiredness.

What's an Onryō good at again?

And

      The

             Illusion

_**S H A T T E R S** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see if anyone can figure out what actually happened and what didn't by the time I post the next chapter...
> 
> Also, some of the things that did happen in the illusion were actually accurate to the reality of the situation... I'm not going to say what here though.


	24. Nōchi Temple: Shatterpoint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the actual battle, and wrap up of this arc. Also the discord between reality and illusion.

It's like a burst of wind that pushes me right back as the last remnants of the illusion fade away. Blink, once, twice, three times and my hands come up to kind of rub at my eyes.

Opening them back up and removing my hands the image doesn't change. The final revenant is still there, hissing and growling at Kakashi, who's defending with a metal pole. It's actually rather awkward, because where did he get the pole from? Of course, that's not the only part of the picture in front of me that seems somewhat out of place, the closet has yelling coming from it, _familiar yelling_ and Manga is absent from the rest of the room.

Rin and Kushina-shishou are both off to the side with expressions that clearly show that they're not quite with the rest of us. Probably still caught in an illusion not to dissimilar to the one I was in.

It's not chakra.

It's pure chi... it's all that she has.

"Shikyo!" I shout and the revenant seems to startle, long enough for Kakashi to slam the pole forwards and right through it with a sickening squelching noise. I actually grimace, until I realize, it's not angry, it's not screaming. It's grinning viciously. "Kakashi!" Hands reaching out, as the second realization clicks. Bones shoot up from the ground and Kakashi jolts backwards.

Several still pierce through his arms and legs, but none of them reach his torso or neck. None of them strike anything vital, it's still something that looks incredibly painful though. And Kakashi actually winces, gritting his teeth against the pain he must be feeling.

My hands curl, and I can feel it. Again, the three pieces, the three elements needed to make chakra.

It was so simple in the illusion.

Swirl them together, spin them together and just weave it like a web... Threaded like cloth, sewn together...

I can feel it, and the formula is there, but... that was an illusion. This isn't. This isn't an illusion, it's not a story, things don't just work out like that.

Fingers dig into my palms and I feel my eyes screw themselves shut. Teeth grinding together, it would be so easy to just try. It's right there, all at my finger tips. But the simple fact is, that was an illusion. My eyes snap back open, narrowing at the revenant. My lips pull back and I feel my posture shift. Shoulders raising just slightly defensive, aggressive. Hands that uncurl and a rumble through my chest, through my body.

"Get. Away. From. Kakashi!" Each word is ground out through clenched teeth, a bite in them. The revenant actually looks up at me, sockets both glowing brightly. It's goal is in reach, but I don't care about that. "You might be stronger! You might be faster, but that means nothing! NOTHING! I refuse! I refuse, you're still human... And blind to the obvious!" I slip backwards ducking under the outstretched rotting arm, fingers like claws just barely clipping the tips of my fringe.

Duck around, hands by my sides, opening and closing. Bobbing weaving, constantly moving, just out of reach. My eyes are on the pole, still thrust through it's chest, it would be so easy. A quick duck backwards and down, reaching up with both hands. Curling around cold metal, a vicious grin. It just barely has enough of it's old existence in it to look shocked and scared. A twist and swish. The noise is horrible, like tearing and shattering, and the screaming. Yet I still pull all my power into it.

And. It swipes through the air. Free, while a rush of liquid sloshes down and covers me. Horrible foul smelling and tasting liquid. I cough and splutter as my head pounds and ears ring. The revenant is still screaming. A hole in it's torso that it clutches at backing away.

Then it crumbles, shattering and falling to pieces. Dust swirls on the ground where it stood, and beyond I can see the bones keeping Kakashi in place exploding into dust. Kakashi frowns behind his mask and shakes his sleeves and legs but the dust clings.

Rin sighs from behind me and we both turn just as she and Kushina-shishou start blinking much like I did coming out of the illusion.

"Kushina-shishou! Rin-chan!" I cheerfully greet, before realizing the state that I must be in. I'm still soaked with a kind of brown yellow liquid that reeks, and my hair is quite likely worse than usual, add in the dust that clings to both Kakashi and I... Well it's a mess. I grimace and kind of stretch an arm out "Yuk..."

Kushina-shishou actually laughs at my reaction. Right up until the wind starts howling, and of course there's a red glow. Starting bright and vibrant, and quickly darkening. Bleeding into the air and over everything. A bright swirling patch of energy in the center, and I shift, Kakashi growls, Rin's hands curl, the energy grows before bursting out.

Tangled black hair, pale blue-ish skin, almost bisecting wound in the torso.

"Shikyo..." I growl, the wind still howling and pulling at my clothing. Also, it's pretty much instantly drying the remaining gunk on me. It's going to be a pain to try and wash out. These were new before this mission. Oh well, that's just the way things go sometimes.

"Now it's time to face me!" she shouts, and Oh boy, it's in English.

"Why does everyone speak English here..." I mutter to myself, well okay that's not quite true. Karite-zenshi hasn't spoken even a lick of it, but it sure feels like everyone's speaking it here. Maybe it has something to do with perceptions though, because none of the others _seem_ to miss what any of the yokai have been saying. I wonder what that says about me...

I'm still thinking in English rather than Ikioin.

Yet I can't be sure, because while they don't seem to be missing what any of the supernatural beings are saying, that might just be me assuming things. Connecting things when there's nothing there at all, it's not like it's something that I don't do anyway. The teaching of looking underneath the underneath certainly doesn't help that tendency.

Link this with that and it all comes back to something else...

Everything is connected.

It's not that far reaching, even if that's how my mind will interpret it if left to it's own.

_Eighteen Elements..._

Yet really there's only _twelve_ chakra natures. This isn't Pokémon, the elements don't even match up in that way. Futon boosts Katon and slows Raiton where in the world of Pokémon a blast of electricity would clip a birds wings and do nothing to a wall of dirt... unless Doton is actually rock, more cracks to exploit and no immunity to Electricity... Yeah that would make sense, but does that mean that all eighteen of the Pokémon types have _some_ equivalent here? I'll have to do some digging...

I blink when there's a poke on my forehead. Bringing me back to reality and away from the image of a small yellow mouse with bright pink cheeks and large eyes and ears.

Another poke and I frown, narrowing my eyes just enough at Kakashi who looks about as unimpressed as ever.

To be fair though, there is an Onryō right there... So he's allowed to be annoyed. I still roll my eyes, because really. Right up until the moment that everything just shakes. The ground, the walls, everything. Shikyo's eyes glow and she raises both her arms. The ground's not there, Kakashi's crossing his arms, still unimpressed. Rin and Kushina-shishou are both looking surprised, though Kushina-shishou easily gets her equilibrium back. Weapons in her hands while I merely feel the way the air is all around me.

Anti-Gravity...

No gravity, zero gravity.

Isn't it like swimming?

No... because there's this disconnect. Which way's up? Which way's down, are all my limbs still there? I can't actually tell. I can't tell and my head feels weird, fuzzy and distant... and... Oh, I kind of spin backwards avoiding Shikyo before righting myself... I think? I still can't tell whether I'm up or down. Moving is a bit like swimming though, weird twists, guide with your whole body. Although moving from one place to another really doesn't take much. Just a small push, a small shift, and propulsion does the rest.

It's weird though, because I still can't keep track. Let alone try to use any of my weapons. Mostly it's just dodging. Although Kushina-shishou is giving attacking a good go... the problem is, Shikyo is still an Onryō, intangible. All that it serves to do is make Kushina-shishou more furious as the spectral opponent simply no-sells each hit. Chakra would help...

But...

It was an illusion...

* * *

-Flashback-

_It's like I'm drowning even without chakra buzzing and stinging, burning in a body that's not quite accepting it._

_And yet I can feel both energies. No. I feel all three. My personal energies, Ki, Chi. And the world's energy, Natural Energy, let's call it Acror._

_I can feel them. And I just know... I know what to do._

_A twist, a pull, a breath and energy swirls around me, flicking red, then violet, the white of Acror and melding together into a blazing orange halo around me. Chakra, there's always a way around a problem if you try hard enough. If you're creative enough. If one solution doesn't work, just try another._

* * *

It's sharp, almost tangible. A solid memory, a tangible thing, it would be so easy. Just to test and see. I can feel all three parts after all. The three elements that blend together into one, separate elements... All I would need to do...

But, I still falter and hesitate.

Until there's a blaze of orange that flickers and burns. Red-Orange really, dancing around Kushina-shishou. Kurama-niisan's power...

Why did I just call him that? I mean for crying out loud, he's the _the fucking Kyubi!_ Oh well, it'll probably pass in time... Or grow. One or the other, either way I'm not likely to get a proper chance to actually say it to his face.

Anyway, the blazing halo of red-orange is a reminder. There is already a way around the seal. Around the limiter. And maybe I'm not a Jinchuriki, but still. A deep breath, and my eyes screw themselves up. And I reach, down inside myself to simply feel the two energies. Split due to the way that the seal is effecting all of us, but still there.

Crimson... Ki, the right to live. The very base of existence, the first level of your physical existence. The same colour as you blood, but as a force within you, and I pull it, push it, feel it flow.

Violet... Chi, the right to aspire. You're crown, your connection to the greater consciousness. Further than the third eye, than the mystical eye... your soul and your awareness of things on that level. And I wrap it around myself, feeling it flow and pulse.

White... Acror, the world itself, Natural Energy branded with a different name. The final piece of the puzzle of life, acceptance and hope and... I feel it, and reach out... breath in, breath out.

My eyes open, and I can feel it. The slight crackle and pop, and the glow flares. Orange energy around me, my chakra. It works, and I can't help but feel this thrill through me because of that. And... now I can see Tobi... Across the room, with his knees drawn up and his not looking at us, his eyes are following Shikyo. His curled position, it's withdrawn and making him smaller...

He's scared of her.

Something in me rages, howls, and I can feel my teeth grit and hands curl.

But...

What else in the illusion that she made was real?

_Battery..._

_My realization._ Abruptly I cut the flow of my chakra, saving the energy for later. Because that realization pretty much slaps me across the face, as she almost does. Only failing because of my chakra cut off. Hmm, something to remember about Yurei if we ever end up on another mission that needs us to face off against them.

"Battery! Barrier!" I say it way too cheerfully. "Fuinjutsu! Downstairs... Upstairs!" I don't know... there might be something important up there... But that's not all that likely really. Either way, my cheerful shout is enough to capture Kushina-shishou's attention and Kakashi's. Rin-chan is taking the time to keep Shikyo's attention away from us.

The tricky thing is... How do we get out of this room?

And that's when gravity reasserts itself, and sends us straight through the ground. Tumbling down, down, before hitting the water.

I'm actually the first to surface shaking my head and blinking rapidly. Laughter, and I turn just enough to come face to face with a familiar kappa. The same one from earlier. Kakashi surfaces behind me and Rin right after spluttering. The last to surface is Kushina-shishou, with a blazing halo of chakra still around her. It actually kind of burns and I growl before splashing at her. The kappa merely laughs before diving down.

I brush back my fringe before looking up.

"Kakashi!"

"It's the same door!" He says and the grinding, pitched whine starts. I want to clap my hands over my ears, it's so much worse this time. As though it doesn't want to open, nails on a chalk-board, a cat scratching the glass of the window, that last screech of tires on asphalt before the car just stutters to a horrific end with crashing glass and splintering metal. Kakashi looks just as pained, even Kushina looks like she's in agony. The only one of us not as bothered by the sound is Rin.

Her ears probably aren't as sensitive as ours.

Kushina's because of Kurama-niisan. Kakashi because of his Ninken... Me simply because it's part of my perception, my ASD. Sound is something I'm highly sensitive to, along with scents and well touch. Those three are the big ones.

Rin's lucky that she doesn't have to deal with it in the same way we do. Finally it opens fully, but we don't get to decide to swim in ourselves. Instead it's a tug, and I'm back underwater, Kakashi's right there with me and it's a whirl. Spinning around and around, upside down. Like when I would put my hand right by the drain and simply feel the water rush over it. It's hard to keep my breath, even harder when it wind up slapping us against stone draining away leaving only enough to cover our ankles.

My head pounds and I actually let out a sort of confused groan before standing up.

"Obito!" I blink and look over at Rin, before there's a strange twist, and a lurch and... _RUN RUN..._ Everything seems to go off inside me at once as I'm on my feet and behind Kushina-shishou in the blink of an eye. There's a creaking, a groaning and from the shadows something emerges.

I can't even define it.

Everything in me is just repulsed and refuses to focus on it beyond screaming _RUN RUN, DANGER, DOOM GET AWAY!_ It rattles and groans and that horrible smell of death floats over. I gag and cough and I can feel Kushina-shishou's growl rather than hear it.

Yet...

Distant, wrong, off, and my eyes drift down. Faint shimmering, a faint glow. Words that dance and ripple, yet it's still. Reactive, it's a reactive seal. Reactive seals have a tendency to explode if you're not careful... and...

_DANGER, DANGER, WARNING!_

My head snaps back up and I don't think. I just move. Pushing through the seal, chakra swirling in a blaze of orange, useless water logged scrolls falling from my pack as I whip out the wok, clang of metal on metal. And I can feel something. Feet slipping and sliding just enough against the soaked algae covered stone beneath the ankle high water. Knashing teeth, flashing fangs, and I blink.

I hiss and growl and I don't care.

"Fuinjutsu: Kihaku Ken!" It's like a shock to my system, as I just form the image of the seal I want in my head. An image, a pattern of words, and focus on it, picture it and just...

I do it.

A sabre, a blade the wok flares and energy blazes around it as I swish my arm. We're both pushed back but not I hold a wok, that's also a sabre. A sword.

"Kushina-shishou!" She doesn't need any further words. Already at the seal. Already deciphering it. Maybe it's not her kind of sealing, but... she's still an Uzumaki. As it is though, we're basically playing distraction. "Kakashi... Rin!" I crouch just enough as my team mates move to stand beside me. And I grit my teeth. As it is though we actually don't get to do any more distracting as Kushina-shishou dismantles the seal within a couple more minutes.

It shatters in a brilliant glow and everything shakes.

I hit the ground with a groan, it feels like time just rapidly sped up before slamming to a stop. Kakashi and Rin don't look much better. Kushina-shishou is merely beaming. The water's gone, and... the air is actually a little fresher now. I sniff again to be sure, but yes, it is fresher.

"Come on 'ttebane" Kushina-shishou cheerfully pulls us up to our feet before leading us up the steps. "It's time for us to actually finish the mission now 'ttebane!" We all groan actually, and she just keeps grinning. Either way we all grudgingly follow her up the stairs, where Karite-zenshi greets us, Manga standing beside him with an incredibly disgruntled look on his face.

The elder beams at us while the younger rolls his eyes and offers a very begrudging thankyou. I blink, Rin blinks and Kushina-shishou merely keeps grinning.

"It should only take a few more hours for us to finish cleaning up the mess 'ttebane!" Kushina-shishou says and the man continues to grin. The rest of the mission really is that straight forwards. And I get to greet the returning Shiryō as they fill the chamber again. In the end we all gather in the room. Rows of seating and the alter repaired through careful use of doton. It's all fixed, all the damage that our misadventures caused.

All of the damage that the Revenants caused.

All the damage Shikyo caused.

All of it is fixed, and it looks amazing. A tapestry hung up on the wall behind the alter. Two figures. Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. In colour and carefully sewn, the sun and the moon. My head turns up and I look between the two praying statues. Guardian stone watchers. It's strange, because I don't know how I feel.

Not now.

Before I felt, judged and now... I just don't know. More complete I suppose, more like I belong. And there's... there's less pain now.

I lower my gaze, returning it to Karite-zenshi who's merely smiling. Still smiling, and Manga who's standing behind him. Holding...

"Album!" I cough and splutter after the exclamation and ouch... words are back to being mostly off limits it would seem. My throat burns and I switch to signing what I want to express. "Album, saw earlier. Hatake Clan... Photo Album!" it's rapid, and excited and I hear the way that Karite-zenshi chuckles.

"So you've seen it then?" he asks and I rapidly nod my head. His expression softens before hardening and Manga growls from behind him.

"Hatake Samurai... Kakashi... Sakumo... Shinobi, Clan secrets, understand. Kakashi only?" My signing is more careful now. Karite nods his head before he speaks correcting me about who's going to see the album.

"Both of Konoha's Shinobi Hatake are going to be reconnected to their heritage." his voice is firm, and he strides forwards. His aura basically says for us to follow him, so we do. Down the halls and out of the temple. I actually rapidly blink in the sunlight, before feeling the familiar chakra...

"Okk! Tou!" I race forwards and allow myself to get swept up into a hug. My head snuggles into Okaasan's chest so that I can hear her heartbeat, and feel the small pulses of energy from my future siblings. She's still not showing any signs of her pregnancy though... Not really, maybe a small bit of extra weight. "Kuu!" I cheerfully wave at Sakumo and he smiles before walking over to his son, to get caught by Karite-zenshi.

And...

It's all right really. I yawn and rest my head against Tousan's shoulder as he holds me. I'm sure no one will mind... if I just fall asleep. Now that it's all over. There's nothing more to worry about. My eyes easily slip shut.


	25. Clan Heir: Itachi!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what today is right? Well it's father's day, so I suppose that this is only fitting.
> 
> Kind of. Well enjoy.

_It's today._ It's today!

I've been racing up and down the streets of the compound all morning. A bundle of excited energy for one simple reason.

_June Ninth._

Itachi is being born sometime today.

With my own mother pregnant I had almost forgotten about Itachi. Until I awoke this morning and my eye actually caught the date. June Ninth, and I'm now nine. Itachi was born when Prime-Obito was nine. On the ninth, and now I'm just racing around because I can't wait. I'm going to have one younger itoko to spoil before my siblings.

My parents both smile indulgently, and Sakumo kind of grumbles. Kakashi merely seems bewildered, because where's all this energy come from? Especially since it's a Friday, the end of the week, when most people are the most tired due to working for the whole week(of course everyone is just as tired on Monday but whatever...).

I kind of bounce in place grinning, grinning even though I'm not entirely ready. I mean I'm dressed, but I only half pulled on a jacket, and I'm missing my goggles and a single shoe that I lost at some point during all my racing.

We don't have any missions today, so it's more casual, though I have shoved my hitai-ate down into the jacket's pocket. You never know when you might need to pull it on after all, and a shinobi is in the habit of typically never leaving home without it. It's only taken me a couple of months to get into the habit myself. Along with stashing weapons away, a belt with packs, and scrolls of fuinjutsu bolted away. It's all habit. It's all typical for shinobi.

And honestly otherwise you feel incredibly exposed.

It's an instinct thing. It's something that you just can't help. And honestly, emotion is the same.

Especially as I continue to race around, practically bouncing from wall to wall. Only remaining in place long enough to give some of the brightest beaming grins possible to the people around me...

Or pausing to let the elderly pass without trouble, you need to be mindful and respectful of them after all. Even the older shinobi need their space, though that's more because they'll stab you if you startle them than the possibility of accidentally killing them if you knock them over hard enough... No seriously, old bones are brittle bones. Although that might only hold true for certain people... it's still a lesson that I know.

"Obito-chan please settle down!" I don't really still as I remain in place, bouncing on the spot and beaming at Okaasan. "We know you're excited, but please..." she's smiling, despite herself. The tone isn't even upset, it's amused. I'm actually not sure if anyone really understands why I'm so excited honestly. As far as they know, I'm just having a really good day. A rare good day really, since even on my best days I'm not usually a bundle of energy and excitement.

But this is family, this is important and special and...

And I know that Itachi will be different. He's hopefully never going to have to choose between the Village and family, never going to make the fool's choices. Because I won't be that... at least, I hope that I won't be...

That thought actually slows me down, cuts my excitement off. And now I shift in place for a different reason. A sort of nervous energy around me as I start to slide towards fretting about that again. It only really lasts for a few moments though. Only a few short moments because today is not a day to worry.

At least, not for myself...

Itachi is going to be born! Today is Itachi's birthday!

The only thing I'm actually able to distantly worry about is whether or not Mikoto-hakubo would be hurt, or if anything could go wrong. I know nothing happened in canon... but, and I slow down again, eventually just kind of trotting down the streets. This is a different timeline, a different universe.

 _My parents are supposed to be dead_.

I'm aware enough of that fact, and I know that Kakashi and I weren't really supposed to get along as friends... More rivals. Though there was some weird almost friendship between them... at least on Obito's end... And thinking about that reminds me of myself with my own bullies and awkwardly antagonistic relationships in my previous life. I could never really show true aggression to them, I could fuss, and get loud, complain but... I was incapable of truly hating them... and the original Obito gave me the same sort of weird feeling of no true hatred.

Oh he could hate the world, _I can hate the world_. But, we can't hate the people in it. We can rage and howl, and find things completely unfair but...

But we can't typically find it in us to truly hate people...

It's a rarity, though that might just be something that I do... I don't know. But I got that feeling from Obito with his awkwardness, the way he tried so hard.

"Mi!" I cheerfully call out when I actually catch sight of Mikoto-hakubo. I don't actually know what time Itachi will decide to be born, of even if he's going to come on time... but. I wave happily and grin at her. And I slow right down, she smiles at me. Amusement sparkling in her eyes when she notices the half-dressed far too excited state of my clothing. "Mi! Ita!" I already know what I'm going to always be calling Itachi.

 _Ita_ for now it can be assumed as a mispronunciation of itoko, a sort of slipped ito... Well, they do kind of sound similar if you say them fast enough with a bit of an accent...

But that's not the point. Not really, the point is, that I already know... and I'm really excited. Because this is family and family is always one of the most important things. And I can feel him, I can feel Itachi's chakra curled up in Mikoto-Hakubo's so strong and bright and... I know he's healthy at this point. I know that he's strong, that they both are... but there will always be a small little twitch and fear.

Because even if you're the healthiest person around, even if everything has run smoothly, complications may come out of nowhere.

Still I don't allow any of those thoughts to really show on my face instead grinning. Grinning and closing my eyes to tilt my head to the side. If I focus really hard I can almost hear Itachi's heartbeat. I can almost hear it...

"Mi, Ita?"

"Don't worry Obito... your little Itoko is safe." she softly says awkwardly ruffling my hair with one hand. I feel the small twitch of my lips at the action. I didn't give permission for that... Though I don't really mind since she's familiar, and safe, and it's rare from her.

Doesn't mean that I generally accept people touching me without permission. Unless they're really familiar with me, or family... but even then I do have days where I'll flail about the smallest bit of contact and it will register as pain first... Even the lightest brushes. Which is stupid, but it's how it happens.

It's how it happens.

But today I'm going to tolerate it... because Itachi!

And I can't wait to meet my itty-bitty itoko. I really can't wait. He's going to be so adorable I just know it. Of course, all babies are adorable, but there's always something that's just more about babies that are also family. And it's enough to make me tolerate the things that I typically would fuss about. Because I'm eager to meet my itoko, to hold him and know that he's real.

More than just a little blip of chakra that I can feel. More than just someone who I know has yet to be born.

And that's of course when my parents catch up, and that Mikoto-Hakubo grimaces. Her arms curl around her belly and she makes a small oh noise.

"Mi?" I ask while my otousan frowns and Okaasan moves to assist her. I don't actually catch all of what they say before things seem to rush ahead. Like a whirlwind, it all moves too fast for me to keep up.

Once it all slows back down we're sitting in the hospital and Fugaku-Shakufu is pacing the length of the room. Back and forth, back and forth. Constantly back and forth... and... my own excitement has died down.

I know that canon had everything fine, the Prime timeline was fine, and there weren't any complications... but again this isn't canon.

This isn't the prime timeline...

"Ita, 'kay?" I ask my Okaasan leaning over onto her and peering up, my hands actually resting gently over the curl of her belly. Just so that I can subtly feel for my own future siblings and know that they're okay. The small bit of extra reassurance. And, an extra reminder that this world has verged off the set path quite a lot.

I have my parents.

Sakumo is alive, Kakashi's not as much of a little jerk.

Kushina-shishou is our sensei... and Rin is quite likely beginning to develop into a certified badass.

And now another is going to join us, join our family.

"Don't worry Obito-chan" Okaasan sooths, running a hand gently through my hair. "The iryonin know what they're doing... Everyone will be fine." I still don't feel quite as confident as I should but I settle. Resting my head on her and simply listening to the steady, familiar, constant beat of her heart.

And, distantly the clock that ticks down in the room.

Time is limitless as we wait, seeming to just stretch on and on with no definition between one moment and the next. Until finally an iryonin comes in to fetch Fugaku-Shukufu. I lift my head and watch him race out.

And, a smile spreads over my face. Because that's how it's supposed to be.

New mothers always hold their babies first(after the ones who help deliver them...), then the father and other relatives.

It's right...

And it only takes a short while before we're invited in by a smiling, joyous Fugaku-Shukufu. I don't even wait moving quickly until I can see Mikoto-Hakubo sitting up in the bed. She's smiling that kind of dopey new-mother proud grin and her arms are cradling a small, tiny form with only the barest amount of soft thin hair on their head.

"Mi?" I slow right down almost scared to get any closer, kind of hovering at the wall.

"Obito-chan, come meet your new cousin." Mikoto smiles at me and gently motions for me to come closer. I slowly walk forwards until I'm right by the bed. "It's okay... just, hold your arms out, that's right..." And so gently she places him into my arms. It's almost instinctive the way that I curl my arms to cradle him, supporting his head and gently holding him.

He's so small, even in my nine year old arms. So small and delicate, so precious.

Eyes tightly squeezed shut, a small almost frown, tiny hands that curl and fist.

"Obito-chan, this is your little cousin Itachi."

"Ita... Chi..." He's perfect. _He's Perfect_. Absolutely perfect, and I will protect him with my life. After all, that's what you do when it comes to family.

You protect them, and care for them.

It's just the way things go. And I will definitely protect Itachi, especially now that he's here. He's tangible and real and... he's so small and precious and _perfect_. He's my itoko, mine to protect and treasure and spoil. And as soon as my toshishita kyoudai are born I will protect all of them. They'll be _mine_ , my family, my relatives, my precious people and the greatest treasures in this world.

And wow...

That's a bit much...

Even in my own head.

Already _way to possessive_ and _protective._ And I can't really blame the fact that I'm an Uchiha on that, because seriously, that's all me.

It's something that I've always had. Feeling things too strongly, too deeply and just being too sensitive to the emotions around me and in me. It's just how Autism is, whether your attentive or inattentive. Supercharged emotions, whether you understand them or not.

Carefully I settle Itachi back into his Okaasan's arms and I smile at them both. Before fleeing because too much, _too much_.

I don't flee that far, not really, just to the other end of the room, because I don't want to go too far.

Because they're my family, and this is a special day, a special and cherished occasion. Something precious, something that I don't really want to miss all that much of. It's just one of those times, and now I'm old enough to _really remember_ it.

Not just a fuzzy faint drifting memory.

Abruptly I whimper, sniff and wipe a hand over my eyes.

Because I was there for my younger siblings birth in my previous life. I might not remember the first time, not really but I did have drifting moments of _you used to be so small_ and hugs and snuggles. I vaguely remembered Freedom's, with a large white bed, and a small tiny pink thing wrapped in white. And a year later with the twins, holding each in their own turn but not really registering it or fully remember it. Just knowing that I was there. For the birth of all my younger siblings. From my full brother, to my little step sister and then my half-siblings the twins.

I sniff again.

It hurts... _It hurts_ to remember.

Smiling faces that look up at me with dancing eyes filled with laughter. An expression that can only be described as a pout, arguments, and taking care of each other.

_It hurts._

Because I can't go back to that. I'm here now, and... and this is important, this is family, but it's so _achingly familiar._ And I can't help but remember my previous family. To mourn and long, and... I haven't done any of that, too busy worrying about how I wasn't supposed to be here, how I wasn't _Obito_. And now it's all coming crashing down because this is familiar.

Another sniff. Another wipe of my hands at my eyes and...

Otousan wraps me up in a hug and I just cling. I cling because I haven't allowed myself to mourn and it's breaking. It's breaking, and I can't really stop this reaction. It's just that this situation brings up the familiar longing. And I'm no longer focusing on other things to block it out.

So I allow myself to cry, and to smile through the tears, because it's so ridiculous.

"Ita-chi... Itoko..." I say with a smile wiping at my eyes again. Looking around at everyone with sheen of tears over my eyes, tears that I can still feel at the very edges. A mixture of happy and sad. Happy because this is right, this is how it's supposed to be...

And sad because...

Sad because...

Sad, because it's such a familiar situation. Younger members welcomed to the family.

"Protect! Treasure!" my hands curl into my father's shirt and I take a deep breath. "Ita-chi, protect!" It's as close as I can come to a declaration of protection for him. It's as close as I can manage, and it's enough. It's enough, and I can feel the sense of pride, a sense of relief. A sense of _something._ I don't really know what it is in it's entirety, but it's there. And it's enough.

Enough with the burning promise in my eyes. With the determination, and the set of my eyes. The fierce promise that burns in them. Drying the few remaining tears.

Because Itachi is my _itoko_ , and I'll protect him. I'll defend him, and I won't be afraid to admit that.

Because that's what you do when it comes to family.

You protect and defend and nurture and... It's what family is all about.

It's important.

"Shi-shiiou! Kaa... Kuu!" I realize, we need to let them know. I kind of swing myself around and look right up into my Otousan's face and he gives me a rather bemused smile. "Itoko, share!" And a small whoops of a brief lapse into English. "Share Itachi, rest family..." I think that I'll stick to English in my excitement. It's like getting close to a cute animal, or more specifically _Pakkun_ when I'm in a speaking moment. You know, excitement increases the amount of stupidity that infects the air and your statements, or just how you deal with things in general.

At least that's my experience with it.

Or maybe it's the cuteness proximity kicking in. Because Itachi is the most precious little life here. And he's here now, tangible, real, visible, not just someone who I know is going to be born. Not just a small flicker tucked away and hidden.

"Team!" Rin needs to be included as well actually... Because she's our team mate, she's part of the family as well. And I just really want to share this happiness and joy, and jubilation. To share this event with those people who I care about, and who care for me. That's likely to include a certain konpaku if I ever run into him again.

After all, he's the original Obito.

He's family as well in his own way. But slowly I calm down, and just settle to watch as Mikoto and Fugaku both settle down to let Itachi familiarize himself with them. To allow him to imprint their chakra signatures as _safety_ , as _family_ and _warmth_. _Protection, devotion,_ _ **love**_.

And I allow my parents to take a hand of mine in each of theirs. I allow them to lead me away. To lead me home, because we've seen Itachi.

And all I can think...

All I can care about is...

_Congratulations Shukufu, Hakubo._

_Welcome to the world Itoko!_

It's a happy day.


	26. Clan Heir: Wolf Moon

A full moon.

A sky full of stars.

And I should be asleep. But again, I've sort of meandered out into the yard. To settle beneath the tree, to curl beneath the roots and gaze up into the heavens. Arms curling around me and the wind rattling the leafy branches overhead. Sand that ripples across the ground, covering the faint foot prints that would lead back to me. And, I just breathe.

The sky reflecting in my eyes as I gaze up. And, I have to smile. Because it's a beautiful night.

Barely two days since Itachi has been born, barely two days since I've let my circle of precious people expand. Two days. _Two Days_. It still feels unreal, like I'm floating in some bubble and it's all a distant dream.

A distant dream.

Well I did just fall asleep before I ended up here. There's no way to tell that it's not some distant dream...

My eyes drift shut and I suck in a breath. Because, if that's true... I'm not even sure whether or not, I'd be able to accept that. As much as I've distanced myself, as much as I've pushed and as much as I've semi-disassociated. I'm very much attached to the people here. My precious people, my family, _mine_. And if I were to simply wake up and understand that it's merely a dream... I don't think that I would be very happy about it.

I don't think that I would be able to just return to my normal life.

Oh sure all the aches and pains would be pretty much the same but... Would I be able to recognize the people around me there... Would, would I fit in anymore?

Because despite everything... I fit here.

And my eyes flicker back open staring up at the creamy glowing circle in the sky.

At the full moon.

At the thousands of glittering shining pin pricks of light in the darkness. The stars that shimmer, shine and glimmer.

And...

A streak of light across the night sky.

A flare, a flash... _a shooting star._

'Quick make a wish'

A familiar statement from cartoons. And of course my eyes screw themselves shut, my hands fist and I scrunch up my face. Desperately wishing, wishing, wishing... For what I can't really say, but I wish.

"Starlight... Starbright..." I whisper, my voice so quiet. Barely a breath heard on the wind.

"First star... I see tonight..." Such a nice rhyme, a familiar repeated rhyme. Well remembered for all those moments, the first glittering light...

"Wish I may..." and, it's a longing hope.

"Wish I might..." I can only keep wishing, clinging, hoping. Praying to the stars without knowing exactly what it is I'm calling for.

"Have the wish..." I just...

I just want the future to be _safe._

If not for me...

"I wish tonight!"

...Then for my family.

I finish blowing out a breath and staring back up at the stars, at the moon, at the night sky.

Because you always wish on a shooting star. It's just... It's just so Disney. And for someone who originally grew up on Disney, and who's never seen a shooting star... what's the harm?

What's the harm...

_It really is a beautiful night..._

And I really can't help but just try to enjoy it. I'm just, not really that tired. Oh sure I should be sleeping but I'm in one of those moods, and it's one of those days. Where it just doesn't feel right to sleep. Where it's something in the air, something in the atmosphere and I just spend the night awake and smiling up at the sky. Drifting listless with some inexplicable feeling that keeps me from Morpheus's embrace.

Keeps me out of dreamland...

I smile and close my eyes taking a deep breath, simply allowing myself to feel the chakra within me, and the Acror, the energy that's all around me. To simply feel the heartbeat of the world in a way.

Listening to the wind as it rustles the leaves on the branches over my head. Listening to the howling of the Inuzuka canines over in their own compound. The distant hooting of owls, the footsteps and rustling in the bushes as small creatures scurry and shuffle around searching for their own food. Feeling the breeze against my face, the faint waving of my hair and the light of the moon as it smiles down on me.

It's a peaceful, perfect night.

Another deep breath, and a smile that winds its way over my face.

I just bask in the peace, happy to be here, happy to exist and just... reflecting on things I suppose. And, allowing myself to ease up a little bit more. Because this is part of my acceptance of my place in this world. Allowing the world to comfort me, to feel safe and welcoming and _home._ This is home, with the life around me.

Noises of the night, the feel of the wind, the wide open sky above me and tucked away in the winding roots of a tree.

It's all that I could want really.

All that I could ever dream of. In all honesty. Despite my many issues, and the way I've been caught up in them. Caught up in so much guilt just because that has always been a thing with me... I fit here and this is everything that I could ever wish for. Family, the forest and the friends, and of course the fact that I am a shinobi. Learning as I grow and change and... as time wears on, I can't exactly stop myself from letting it engulf me.

I just can't.

And under the moon, surrounded by the familiar and the safe. Able to just breathe easy... It's enough to make me just relax. Because surrounded by all of this.

It really is all that I ever wanted.

Because it's a certain sense of peace, and safety.

And I open my eyes back up, raising my head into the wind. Allowing it to flow across my face, gently caressing me, and ruffling my hair. It's so nice, and I smile. Feeling the soft moonlight on my skin. It's nice. And I take another breath, before standing up.

I know when I'm not going to get any sleep. And I know better than to find some fuinjutsu supplies and just practice... because everyone will freak out when they wake up and find me in the center of them.

But tonight is just the kind of night where I can't sleep. And if computers were a thing here, I know... I would have pulled one out, and settle here with soft relaxing music in the background, and... a document open to write. Because it's that kind of night, too many thoughts and too much energy. Leading to an inability to just relax, to calm down fully and sleep and...

My body jolts, pulling me to a halt as I feel something. There is a sort of distant feeling at the very edge of my senses. The range given to me due to my hypersensitivity... I glance back at the house, if only for a moment before padding over to the fence. Easily I slip through it, escaping using the loose boards that Pakkun uses. The ones that still have gone unnoticed, or maybe just uncared for... after all, the Ninken always come back.

My bare feet settle in the dirt and I am acutely aware of how this is not routine. There is a certain rush, a thrill that is sent up and down my body, a shiver that coils up my spine and my eyes just faintly narrow. This is something new, and it's exciting. I take a deep breath, before looking around, straining my ears for the smallest of sounds. Only the normal nighttime ambience greets my ears.

I lick my lips and carefully creep across the ground, footfalls completely silent. Not even disturbing the dirt beneath my feet. Light and easy. Oh, I know that there are people who notice me, the ANBU in the shadows of course, but still. It's not likely that they will bother to investigate beyond what they are. Watching and keeping an eye on me. But, I don't bother to pay them any attention, any more than half an ear.

Because there is definitely something different.

Something that is drawing me forwards. Silent steps, swift movement and I only pause for a moment to shift. To stare at the shadows. Or really only a certain one, because this person's chakra is twisted up. Too focused in one area. My eyes narrow just faintly and I feel my hands beginning to curl before I force the reaction down. Raising my head into the wind I breathe. It's rippling, and I can feel something perk up. A small twitch, another breath.

I don't even wait. Also, it's surprisingly easy to sneak out past the chunin standing guard. Not that I really sneak. I stroll, stopping to cross my arms and glare at the two snoozing layabouts who are supposed to be on duty. Unimpressed.

Really. But then again, anyone and everyone who seems to end up at the gates tend to slack at least a little. And they aren't what has my attention. Still, I hesitate. Stopping just before the invisible line that symbolizes the very edge of Konoha, the very edge of the village.

I... I have never really been outside of the village. Aside when I was teeny tiny according to my parents. And the Nōchi Temple was, is still technically inside the village. Inside of Konohagakure.

So I hesitate.

Slowly, tentatively I step over the line. I find myself swallowing, licking my lips and nervously shifting. It does not feel that much different really, but at the same time. I lift my head, take a deep breath and firm myself up. Narrowing my eyes and squaring my jaw, setting my shoulders and...

One foot in front of the other. It's easy. One, two, three and four. And I know that there are still ANBU following me. With a slight edge in their chakra, but I continue to just barely acknowledge them. Only stopping when the leaves of the trees overhead rustle, and when I am able to feel something else.

Pure, cleansing and...

"Hatake!" the name passes my lips in a single breath. And I scramble up one of the trees, easily bounding forwards, stopping on a balanced limb. Looking up, back and finally down ahead of me. It's a bit weird really, to see all of the people who are there, and to know, to feel and just understand. This is the Hatake Clan. I rest a hand against the tree, feeling its energy and allowing it to stabilize me. Licking my lips I shift just enough to more or less perk my ears.

To see what I can pick up but also...

This is a dramatic shift from Canon, what little I knew, what little I truly understood and remembered. Because... Kakashi and Sakumo were the only Hatake ever shown in Canon. And I could write away Karite and Manga... because they clearly mostly remain in the temple, but an entire Clan. Visiting Konoha... surely this would have been mentioned, or at least hinted at right? Or maybe in canon there was something else, and Kuro had his hand in their absence... who knows...

Really though, I just stare, with wide eyes and a sort of nervous energy.

And... How am I supposed to feel about this? Because this is not something to feel guilt about, but also, it's a change. Since things ripple out. Ripples, and I twitch. My hands come up to curl in my head and I take several rapid breaths. Shaking my head I turn and flee. Only stopping right in front of the gates to Konoha. I pant just a little before peering back. Back towards where the Hatake are camped.

Back towards yet another change.

Is it good? Is it bad?

How can I tell until it has come to pass to completion. Even the fact that my parents are still alive, that Sakumo is still alive. Those things haven't reached the complete cycle of their changes. So much further than what I can possibly know... and now...

I take a deep breath, almost choking on the Acror in the air. Almost choking, so instead I cough, and curl around myself, kneeling in place trying to starve off the rising hysteria and panic. Fingers digging into my head, and eyes screwing themselves shut. Another choking breath and I know that I'm losing.

I'm losing against panic.

Panic that is for yet another absolutely ridiculous reason.

It's just... I have never really dealt as well with changes as I have pretended. And as long as there is some predictability to it, I can deal. But things like this, things that are from so far out of the blue that I just can't. I can't deal with it, not really. I just... There is a rising feel of bile at the back of my throat and I force myself to swallow.

Because vomiting would not look good. At all. Even if there is no one who is really watching.

Also, I don't think that there is really anything in my stomach to vomit. I have it on record that dry-heaving is much worse than actually vomiting. So I don't want to do that either. Not just because I'm flailing about something that really should not be a problem. I choke on another breath, trying desperately to corral my thoughts and calm down.

The Hatake are allies.

But they aren't supposed to be here... are they?

I wheeze, forcing myself to breath. There is a sharp, acute pain in my head. Symbolizing just how much I am panicking. Giving myself a headache... and it's still such a nice night. I open my eyes to stare at the grit on the ground before dropping down. I want to scream. I want to race, I-

On my feet before I can think and just moving. Fleeing, because I have reached the end of the tether. And it's snapped.

I just move. Not thinking, because I need to find a place that is clear from others. Clear from distractions. I only begin to slow when the ground changes, when it shifts. And I sort of skid to a stop, there is a cave here. Dark, and gaping in front of me. I look up, there are stalactites like teeth that loom from the roof of the cavern, and various stalagmites that reach up to match. But also, this is far removed from most people's range...

I don't enter.

But I curl up in front of it, finally allowing myself to breakdown in the gaze of the moon. My hands curl into the dirt and grass, pulling it up in clumps and an incomprehensible sound breaks past my lips. Raising up, and I can feel my chakra swirl, burning through my body. My pulse frantic, erratic, and the way that my blood swishes and slaps in my arteries and veins. The way it's all moving too fast, near bursting. Throbbing, and echoing in my head. I curl, trying to find some way to contain it without lighting myself up like a distress beacon. Hands coiling, tears falling and shudders that wrack my whole body.

And when it's over I just lie there. Remaining curled and keeping my eyes closed. Simply breathing, and just faintly synching the pulse of my chakra with that of Ikioi's Acror. Just faintly, distantly. I push myself up, breathing slowly. I stand there for a moment or two, feeling the moonlight on my skin before I walk back towards Konoha.

Towards home...

One step, two, three and four.

I don't have to look and see the incoming guests. But I am acutely aware of their presence the whole time, and it's really hard not to just race back to the sheltered spot... But, if I do morning will sneak up and by then it will cause a panic. If it hasn't already... since it's not unlikely that they wouldn't be aware of when I move out into the yard. When I move into the nighttime air, and as the Konoha gates come into view I slow down further. Pausing again at the very threshold and...

They are still asleep.

I actually suck in an annoyed breath. Pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head. Why, why is it that anyone and everyone who gets that job will mess up in some way. Or just laze about. Chunin... Thank that just because they've managed to reach the rank they can do whatever... I drop my arms down to cross them and shake my head. Blowing out a breath I roll my eyes skywards before just continuing on.

Back home.

It's not as if anyone has really noticed that I have been gone. Not yet anyway. Though it is getting closer and closer to daybreak. The moon slowly sliding downwards, towards the west. And, there is the smallest glimmer of the dawn's light. Just the beginning streaks of light across the sky. I find myself stopping to look up, to just watch the sky change. Lightening up, slowly and surely, with an array of different beautiful colours and...

"YOSH!" I jump, spinning round and defensively slipping into a stance, hands up and...

"Gai?" I drop back down into a more relaxed posture. Almost sheepishly rubbing the back of my head as I look at the green wearing boy. I wave one hand in greeting as he looks at me critically. And really that's fair enough, because I'm not even really wearing clothing. Still clothed in my jinbei, my pyjamas. Self-conscious I flush just slightly before shaking it off and beaming at the other boy. "Ashita!" I call, morning.

"Yosh! You seem to be in quite a Youthful mood today! You're up with the sun! At the most Youthful time..." I awkwardly stand there, because I know Gai, and I know his moods. And he's happy right now, but if he knew that I had been up the whole night... and especially about my freak out...

"Hai!" I say, pushing a grin onto my face, and trying to shut up the whispering voice in the back of my head. There is no need to worry Gai.

"Yosh! You should join me for my morning workout!" Gai beams, brightly, his teeth shining and... I blink. Before nodding my head, rapidly, barely thinking about it. Before faltering.

"Kaa to?"

"Yosh! Kakashi to!" Gai says and I grin. I grin, because Kakashi is going to get all upset and glare, but come anyway. If only to humor me. And it will likely evolve into one of their challenges right after, and I will move to the side, to play the cheering squad. It will be something to take my mind off what might, or might not be coming.

Off the clan that's on its way to Konoha, not quite far enough away. Just close enough that I can catch them in the wind.

"'kay, I get Kakashi! Join you" I sign rapidly, before dashing off, a grin lighting up my face. Again it's easy enough to slip into the yard. And, I have perfected the fast change. So the very moment that I am fully equipped I pad on over to Kakashi's room. You could call the grin that I sport evil, or devious as I creep over the tatami floor towards where Kakashi is sleeping.

Pakkun is curled up by him, and the small pug cracks a single eye open. I raise one finger to my lips and I can almost imagine him shrugging as I raise my hands and. I more or less flop onto the bed with him, snaking my arms around and laughing. He jolts, and I grin, fingers shifting and dancing to tickle him. Forcing him to laugh and shake trying to push me off.

"Ashita! Kaa!" I call when he finally dislodges me. "Gai invite workout! You come to!" I rapidly sign before skipping out of the room. Not even waiting for his response. It is still really early, so I don't bother heading towards my parents room. Instead I just skip on down to Sakumo's and slide the door open peering around with a beaming grin. "Kuu!" I call to a small shuffle. "Gai workout!" I say before skipping off, to where Kakashi is standing with his arms crossed, hair messier than usual(and much, much fluffier) and mask only half on. "Kaa, mask" I say pausing and he scowls. "Let us go!"

I cheerfully bound off, and Kakashi, ever long-suffering follows after me. Already resigned to the events that are happening.

Today is looking to be a good day, despite my misgivings about potential future events.

"Gai!"


	27. Clan Heir: Snakes and Wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, today's February tenth, so I decided to have some fun and get this done. Just in time for Obito's birthday!

Today is looking to be a horrible day…

Absolutely horrible.

And it started so bright... So fun, with Kakashi and Gai, racing around the village. Literally, it turned into a race, but heck if I know who actually won, considering that's one challenge that I'm able to get in on. I'll have to ask someone eventually... But aside that...

They arrived.

The Hatake Clan.

I knew that they would. I knew as soon as I had seen them. Why else would they have been heading this way. But... it's not fair. It's not supposed to happen, and something inside me just twists in an uncomfortable way as I watch them walk through the gate and into the village. As I watch Sakumo walk forwards to greet them. As Kakashi pulls to a stop beside me and frowns behind his mask. As Gai also looks at them, more curious than anything else.

They're going to take him away from me...

After all, they are Kakashi's family. His clan, and I can already see the calculations. The way they are thinking, and... The Hatake feel of wolf. Loyalty and pack... Family. They are going to take them away.

Sakumo and Kakashi and...

I can't...

I can't imagine this day been good anymore. Not with this hanging overhead so obvious. So much for wishing on a star, so much for dreams, so much...

I can't...

I grit my teeth, curl my hands and just twitch. Subtle, but full of meaning. It's not fair, and I can't stand around to watch as Kakashi is waved over. I go in a completely different direction. Away... and, Gai follows after me. Clearly worried, because I am upset and fussing, and I don't even know what my body language might be giving away. I don't know, because it's not like I pay that much attention to it.

Not really.

Of course, whether or not Gai can actually keep up with me as I race off is another matter. Even in this body, even in this life. You would be surprised by how little sleep I can run off. How little energy I need to really kick into high gear. And besides, it's not like I reveal all my tricks. Ever. And, I really don't want to bother with him right now. So it's just a matter of, a small twist, a small burst and...

My feet barely seem to touch the ground until I finally come to a stop.

Most people avoid training ground forty-four because of the wildlife really. It's not called the Forest of Death just because of the Chunin Exams after all. Giant bugs, tigers, whispers of explosions, and many different venomous snakes... and spiders. Not tarantulas despite their size, no deadly venomous spiders. I look up at the fence and I just... I don't get why people fear it. Because really despite all the dangers... it's just a bit of woods... and well also, I did live in _Australia_... so everything trying to kill you is kind of normal. I mean seriously, Kangaroo jump out at you, and despite looking cuddly don't cross a koala or a wombat...

So it's just like home... It's safe.

It's easy to just find the small gap, the unnoticed(or uncared for) spot where the fence breaks. To slip through and then relax. Breathing, and simply listening to the forest around me. And, honestly, while I know that others would freak and panic I just don't worry because it's a matter of listening and allowing it to just continue on.

To keep going...

And I relax, curling up and breathing. Closing my eyes and just... I let it surround me. To taste and feel, to echo and resonate even when it itches and burns. When it hurts, sparking pain through my chest and head. Because it's more raw in here. But, I allow it, and just focus on breathing through the pain. Not choking on the cloying feeling that winds around my neck. I focus on breathing, and trying to not panic, to not fall to not... I cough, gagging before sucking in a breath and shaking my head rapidly.

My whole body shaking really. With so many different things. Because I can't stop the flow of time, and I can't prevent changes. There are already so many ripples, some of them obvious and some of them not, and this is just one more... and I know that it's unfair.

But who's the one who is being unfair... me? The Hatake Clan? Life?

Who could even know. Why would it even matter? Because really things will go as they go, as much as I want it to stay mostly the same. Small changes, subtle changes, all of us together and going through the same trials...

Well, mostly the same trials... after all, everyone has their own challenges to face. I fold my arms around my legs and lift my head just enough to see the way that the leaves on the branches overhead dance in the wind. And I just breathe, just allow myself to drift and feel the Acror in the air. I allow myself to just think and wonder and...

I need to accept this.

It's out of my control.

It's just another change.

Like my parents, Sakumo... people who should be dead but aren't. Kushina-shishou as our Sensei rather than Minato... that mission at the Temple. And now, now the Hatake Clan and their arrival in Konoha is just another change.

It's just... I just...

I take another deep breath, holding it before blowing it out and lowering my head. Just barely peering over my knees. Even now, I think that I don't quite feel fully here and that means the more that things change the harder it gets. More real, more solid, but at the same time, there's this lingering echo that just makes it off. Just makes it seem not quite right. I'm changing things, but... I still wasn't supposed to be the one here. But I am. And I can't change that either.

Can't go back.

Can't change myself.

Can't quite accept it either... baby steps need to be taken yet. I have accepted only a small part of everything. I can now face myself in the mirror due to the events that have passed over our mission at the Nōchi Temple... And not much more than that. Because I am still not quite fully here.

But.

There is only one direction to go from here.

Only one way to go.

Onwards, Upwards and Forwards.

Closer and closer to acceptance.

Not that it's going to be easy. Not when I'm going to still react like this. Not when I'm going to come face to face with other changes, other problems that just don't have any reference to the story that I remember. Not that I ever read that story. Not that I knew much more than Spoilers... so how do I really know that this never happened? How do I know? Logic? Because it seems like something so important? How?

I don't.

But I do.

It's strange really. Strange, like me. And that causes me to giggle just a little bit, before taking another deep breath, blowing it out and standing back up. There are a few leaves in my hair that I shake out before raking my fingers through. Satisfied with the result I turn to leave only to freeze.

How long has Orochimaru been standing there?

How zoned out was I to miss his presence?

Wait... is he suppressing his chakra? I narrow my eyes just faintly focusing on the Snake Summoner stretching my senses and... I can just barely separate his chakra from the acror surrounding him in the air. And that's only because of the way it flows around him... creepy. But also.

"How?" I ask throwing my hands up, mind switching paths instantly. "How you suppress like that?" He blinks, and I just sort of initiate a bit of babble. Most of it is just random babble that doesn't make sense in any order. It's just me getting excited about this. Because I didn't know people could do that... I mean, now that I know it's kind of obvious and logical... but I'm used to being around people who basically broadcast their presence with their chakra...

I wonder if I do that?

I mean, I do pull it in sometimes... when it's too much, too much... huh, something to think about I guess.

I continue to babble sentences that aren't quite complete, until I'm forced to stop to catch my breath. Forced to stop and I actually grin when I notice how Orochimaru looks just the slightest bit dazed. Caught off guard I think. I don't really care about that though, because this is something that I can chase. And honestly, considering what I was exposed to before waking up here in this world... well...

Orochimaru is a bit of a weird point.

Villain, sure. But also an incredibly broken person who is perhaps not quite as irredeemable as most people immediately assume. Also, what is with snakes and having a bad reputation? I never did understand that. I mean yes, the original serpent controlled by the devil/Satan in the Garden of Eden is a thing but also... Also they already received their punishment for that.

Genesis 3: 14 _And then God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild animals of the field. On your belly you will go, and you will eat dust all the days of your life."_

They already lost their legs. Of course there was more to it, but I'm pretty sure that the rest was directed towards Satan more than the snakes. But anyway... Snakes are pretty darn cool. And by extension most people related to them... bar the fanatics and those who're just not people who can be cared for. Like seriously Voldemort went all the way over the crazy ledge, and Orochimaru post-kyubi but pre-Forth War is also kind of eh...

But right now.

I'm perfectly fine with his presence despite the fact that he's a canon character. Though I think that might just be because right now I'm in awe of his suppression ability. But also.

"Snake, summons" I ask, my hands clasped and eyes wide and hopeful. Because honestly I need something to keep me occupied. Away from thoughts of what's going on. Away from the changes... If that's making more changes well...

"Are you okay? You seem kind of off..." I can literally feel the twitch in one eye as Tobi decides that right now is a perfectly okay moment to materialize. It's the first time I've seen him since the Nōchi Temple debacle. Clearly he's not visible to Orochimaru since the man is still merely staring at me. In a way that clearly says that he does not understand me and does not quite know what to do.

"Snakes?" I ask again and Tobi makes a considering noise before rapidly shaking his head and snapping his fingers together. The small konpaku grins before laughing.

"Oh! I get it! Huh... yeah they are pretty cool aren't they?" he cheerfully commentates as Orochimaru seems to finally decide that I'm harmless enough. Or maybe he's just doing it to see if it'll make me leave him alone. Either way he speeds through the hand seals and within moments there is a snake right there, in front of me. Tobi is the one who's more impressed though, the konpaku waving his arms around in excitement and literally gushing beside me.

The snake honestly isn't that impressive, not really. It's a small plain little brown snake, but at the same time. That's amazing. Because just with a small few hand seals.

"Hello!" I very slowly offer a hand. Maybe for a sniff, or a taste test, I don't know. It's just an offer and I can feel a giant beaming grin spread across my face. Orochimaru is just sort of hanging around now, looming in the shadows. But he's not a problem. And the snake subtly shifts and I just suck in a breath.

"Shiny..." Tobi says and I can only mutely nod. The snakes scales are incredibly shiny. Sparkling under the sunlight and I just slowly reach. Hesitating until the snake itself moves to rub it's side against my hand and...

I can only just barely remember a day in Primary School. My original one, not the second one that I went to due to a Doctor's recommendation... but anyway, I can just barely remember this one day. A wildlife instructor came to our school. And he talked about a variety of topics, but anyway, the thing that stuck with me for all these years. Even into this new life, was the fact that he brought several live reptiles with him to allow us to understand them... included was a baby crocodile, and we could pet it... under his watch.

Snakes were included as well of course, and I can just barely remember the smooth, cool feel of their scales, with a slight rough edge, kind of like that synthetic plastic that's used for handbags but... more real, with a faint dirt feel and...

This feels so much better. So much more real and honest and-

"Are you crying?" Orochimaru sounds half-way to panicked... or as panicked as he gets. Or maybe he just doesn't know. I take a deep shaky breath, while Tobi huffs, wiping one arm over his own face. Not that it matters if the konpaku cries. No one can see him. I offer a watery smile to the snake sannin before sitting down properly and just...

I allow the snake to slither over and coil up around my arm. We're practically nose to nose, eye to eye. And I just. It's amazing, the eyes are a deep green slitted and I can just barely feel the snake's breathing and...

"You are! What? Why?" I blink, tilting my head back and up, to stare at Orochimaru, before weakly laughing. The snake shifts, soon resting around my neck, but I don't feel as if I'm in danger as I take a deep breath. A steadying breath.

"Just, thinking happy-sad thoughts" because that's what nostalgia is. That's what memories are. Happy memories with a tint of sadness and longing. "Cannot go back... so sad, but happy to have been there" And I am really.

I needed this. In a weird way. I needed this. And maybe, maybe in some way Orochimaru needs this as well. Because he's furrowing his brow, confused but there is some small almost spark of understanding in his eyes.

"Memories. Moments to keep..." I say raising one hand slowly. Rubbing the snake's head gently. "Past is gone, laid rest. Future coming. Memories in heart, in mind." I smile, and take a deep breath. "Memories treasure in chest, cannot go back, but good to know happened... to reflect, to understand..."

"To learn!" I jump. What the hell? When did Rin get here? How did she get here? I narrow my eyes just subtly at her because this is still the Forest of Death right? Training Ground Forty-Four, so why the hell is Rin right here smiling that smile as if nothing is wrong. As if there's nothing strange about her just magically appearing like that. "Obito-kun, Kakashi-kun and Gai-san are both looking for you!" Of course they are. And Rin simply continues to smile, before she seems to notice the snake.

The smile of her mouth doesn't really disappear but her brow does furrow a little bit in confusion before her entire expression does the weird facial shrug thing and she just treats it as normal... Huh...

"I know..." I say looking away and shuffling in place.

"Obito-kun?"

"Things change too fast..." I mutter, not entirely sure that it's audible before sighing. "Just need space, time, reflection..." I say twisting my hands together and not quite meeting Rin's eyes. Not looking over at Orochimaru either, but still. I close my eyes and for a moment I can pretend. For a moment nothing has changed and I'm just letting the feeling of the world wash around me.

Except Rin's charka shines like a beacon, and Orochimaru's is like a smooth pool of silk and snakeskin. Deep and mysterious, drawing me like a moth to a flame. Especially since he's not actively suppressing it anymore. And when I open my eyes back up, it's to find myself standing right in front of a rather bemused looking Orochimaru with a giggling Rin in the background.

And honestly I can't bring myself to properly care. Until Rin stops laughing and reminds me that everyone is still looking for me. Makes me wonder... how much time has actually passed? Oh well. I can worry about that later. In the meantime, I wave a distracted goodbye to Orochimaru as the summons around my neck poofs away to where ever they live. It probably doesn't matter.

I allow Rin to lead us. My mind simply drifting. From thought to thought, and idea to idea. Not really paying attention.

Snakes.

Wolves.

Summons and their summoners. And the characteristics of those who share them. Who receive them, who use them.

The Hatake, those who are now here. Who're changing things. They're the wolves. A pack, a family. With a group mentality. Family first and bonds of blood are important. But also wolves... wolves will adopt strays into the pack. If they approve of them... though where that line is, who knows... Loyalty, compassion, communication... Independence and intelligence...

And then snakes...

Snakes for Orochimaru. Cycles, rebirth, eternity, transformation, healing, protection, balance occult and hidden knowledge. Gender fluidity, considering how they have both female and male symbolism... Makes me wonder exactly how Orochimaru views himself. I mean he certainly likes to dress in a semi-androgynous way. Albeit he is very pretty, and has no problems with presenting as typically feminine.

Makes me wonder a lot of things really.

But a few animals do automatically come to mind. Along with other reasons. Personality, but also perspective. I wonder... if I get summons what will they be. Will it fit, or will it not... hmm. Stuff to wonder about later really. When it happens. When I decide, one way or another. And I think that I've already partially decided really.

Someday.

Someway.

Somehow, our whole team will have summons. Yes, that's a good plan. I smile and I can feel the look that Rin gives me from the side. I can feel it and I break out into a grin. Which I think is actually worrying her. But I'm fine, because even though things are changing. And I'm still not quite fully here. Even though I've retreated and come back.

I have a plan.

Now the thing to do is bring the others around to it.

Kakashi already has his ninken, only slightly more tame than wolves. Kushina-shishou technically has the kyubi, but foxes are not quite the right tricksters for her. They were always Naruto's tricksters... Kushina, Kushina though was closer to the sea. Just subtly, still vibrant and loud, a trickster but not foxes.

Hmm, I'll have to worry about it later. I mean Minato summons toads and in hindsight those certainly don't fit either.

But most clans and their summons do, most people and their summons do. So maybe there is something that I'm missing. That I don't know... either way though. Right now I have other things to deal with.

Other things to understand and learn.

And now...

Now I meet the rest of the Pack. The Hatake Clan... Deep breaths, and closing my eyes. I can only hope that this goes better than the mess with Manga in the Nōchi Temple.

I can only hope.


	28. Clan Heir: Pack Mentality

Silver...

All I can see is silver, and white, and... Green. A lot of green. And to a lesser degree, brown. And everywhere I look there is the Hatake Clan symbol. On the backs of shirts, the sleeves, belts and even their shoes. Scarfs around heads and necks and it's... just a little bit overwhelming. Just a little bit. Because I can also feel all their chakra. Clear and clean and soothing.

But there's so much of it.

So, so much of it.

Too much, even too much of a supposed 'good' thing is still too much. And this is too much. I mean it's easier to cope with than the Acror and the chakra of most people but still. There is far too much of it, and it feels like I'm completely blanketed in it. Breathing through a cloth covering. And it makes my skin itch and tingle like wearing wool right by the skin. Scratchy and just irritating.

Makes me twitch.

Along with all the silver hair. At least, my face scrunches slightly, at least my parents stick out plainly obvious. With black and brown hair. Clothing like midnight. Specs of darkness among all the bright colours. I pretty much B-Line right for them. Before snuggling into Otousan's side, trying to make myself smaller.

There are too many people, there's too much chakra.

I feel like I'm drowning in it. Lost, and drifting in a sea of fluid chakra. Even if it's easier to stand than most, it's just... too much. So I snuggle into my parents. Breathing deeply and reaching out towards their chakra with my senses. Reaching for the presences that marked my earliest days in this world. For the familiar sense of safety, comfort and warmth. Reaching for that, and wrapping it around myself when I find it.

Because there are just too many Hatakes around. And the feeling of the chakra, it causes a sense of static and a low buzz. So I can't hear what anyone is saying because it's just hard to focus and push past.

I can only go by the slight vibrations that I can feel. The slight sense of knowing. People are talking, and I slowly shift just enough so that I can peer around and it's just...

Not an Introverts paradise.

Too many people for me. Too many people and... WHY ARE THEY ALL LOOKING AT ME? I duck back down hiding myself in Otousan's side, and curling my hands just slightly into the bottom of his shirt. Maybe if I close my eyes they will all disappear and I'll have some recharge time with just Okaasan, Otousan, Kakashi and Sakumo... small group equals good peace and quiet perfect for recharge... not big group...

You would think I'd have already recharged but home is sort of a requirement.

Comes with the territory of being an autistic ball of anxiety I think.

Not that I have that much anxiety... but it's there. It's known. And I'm more aware of my shortcomings than I'm not. Put everything together and I just, haven't given myself the chance to adjust. Instead internalizing it all... which manifests as a weird kind of anxiety. Anxiety that mostly comes out in the faces of changes...

Or well, too large crowds that cause too much 'noise' for me to filter through.

Unfortunately, the Hatake Clan and their presence is six of one, half a dozen of the other. It doesn't really matter. It doesn't matter which it is ultimately. Because unfortunately, it just is... too much, too much and I want to run and hide, and be away from here. Meeting everyone and dealing with the change can wait for another day. When I'm not about to start screaming. When I'm not tottering right on the edge.

I'm not prepared.

I'm not ready.

I knew they were coming and I'm still not ready. Not for this change, not for anything. How am I going to react once the plot actually starts picking up? I shiver, before taking a deep breath and again slowly peering out. I keep myself half hidden as I look around. And it's weird. Because they're actually further back than I expected, aside Sakumo and Kakashi who are in the safe range.

And it helps. Slowly I uncurl further, and eventually feel stable enough to stand by my parents rather than tuck myself into them and... Kakashi moves to slip beside me. I barely glance at him before returning my gaze to the front. To everyone else. To the rest of the Hatake Clan and...

How do I even react to this? How am I supposed to react to this? Aside how I've already reacted? Which was not my best moment... Not my best moment at all... but again, they've all moved back, and out... still in the range of my senses, still visible and I can still feel their chakra and hear them but, it's not everywhere and everything now. It's not... It's weird.

I scrunch up my face just a little bit to try and figure out how before stopping, and blinking. Oh... _OH_. The Hatake are not Shinobi... they're Samurai. The cultural differences may be coming into play here. Maybe, but I don't really think so... I think this is something different. Some other small bit of awareness.

But then again, I've never met any samurai.

In this life, or in my previous life. Well, up until now.

Up until now. And I don't know how I should really feel. Because it's twofold. A _huge change_ and _something new_. A deviation from the timeline, but also... Firming up my reality. Because this is something huge, something new, so far removed from the canon timeline. Because before, even with Kushina-shishou as our sensei... _still too close_. And now. I take a deep breath, closing my eyes before opening them again and simply peering around at all the Hatake Clansmen around us.

And, I still don't quite know how I should feel.

So I just take another breath closing my eyes and just feeling the chakra in the me, the Acror in the air around me. And the bright sparks, pin pricks of light and bright, of soothing calm of the Hatake clan.

Another breath.

 _In. Out._ I keep my eyes closed, lowering my head just slightly and... this is actually kind of nice. If I just let myself accept it. It's actually kind of nice... Kakashi's going to be learning more about his clan. _His family_. It's a deviation in the timeline. It's something new, something that was never touched upon before. I can do this. I can cope. I can, another breath. _In, out_. Slowly I open my eyes back up and just blink at the Hatake Clan. I stare, it's not exactly like I can really help it.

We've never seen them before.

The only hint that they were actually a thing was the symbol being revealed. And now, it's just astonishing. Because, I don't... I don't know how to react or feel. And all I can do is stare, a little slip of a thing from beside my parents. From beside Kakashi, with Sakumo watching on. Another breath, and I shake myself off.

"Hiiiii!" I wave, cautiously and I can almost feel the snort from Kakashi. To be honest, I really have no idea why I stretched the word out like I did. It just happened. "Clan..." I tilt my head before deciding that my voice was annoying me too much, kind of squeaking awkwardly. But I can't quite bring myself to begin signing. So instead I slip back pressing myself against my Otousan's side once more. Shy and insecure and...

Oh kami.

I'm acting like _Hinata!_

All shy and nervous, and hiding behind people who are secure. Some of my horror must have shown on my face, because Okaasan lets out a small laugh before covering her mouth with one hand. I shoot her a momentarily betrayed look before pushing up a grin onto my own face and laughing happily. I rapidly shake my head afterwards, and sort of tilt it. That's broken through whatever mode I'd gotten into.

"Kaa, Clan! Kuu?" I look up at Sakumo eyes wide with curiosity now that I'm no longer in almost panic mode. I peer once more at the Hatake before waving happily. "Hii!" A little bit of stretch is fine this time, also now that my head is clearer. Their chakra really is more soothing than drowning. _There's still a lot of it though_ and I am really happy they're keeping a distance between us all.

"Well, now that's been established... Welcome!" Sakumo sounds almost resigned and I look up at him. Otousan laughs and his hand comes down on my head, gently ruffling my hair. "There's room in the Clan Compound!" he says and I nod my head rapidly, there really is. And the spaces between each building... Plenty of room to prevent anything from becoming too overwhelming. And then Otousan steps forwards and something feels _wrong_.

"Thankyou for putting up with us over the past year Sakumo!" hmm, no not wrong, more like a return of an issue I just haven't been witness to before. "This seems like clan business, so-"

"We should probably return to living in our own home." Okaasan finishes for him, and... I can't even argue with it. It's probably been repaired by now. It's safe, it's home, and well logically we can't really stay with Sakumo and Kakashi my whole life. I literally can't argue with it. So instead I sort of shuffle, toeing the ground with one foot. "We've put you out enough anyway Sakumo-kun-"

"WHAT? You're leaving?!" Instead it's Kakashi who finally seems to catch on and react poorly. "But, but-"

"Kaa!" I stop him shaking my head, before smiling. "Clan, fam!" And I really need to get to know my own family. Up until this point, I've spent pretty much 85% of my childhood squirreled away from everyone else. I mean, I did see some of the compound, and some of my relatives but... Not all that much of it, because for the most part I was a little autistic ball of anxiety as a child(still am most of the time, but shush). I'm improving though, and really, _family is important_.

"But... you are family!" Kakashi says and I just, pause. Blinking at him before looking up at my parents, and Sakumo, who is nodding his head in agreement with Kakashi. That's... true, but. "You're part of our family, you've lived here, part of our pack!" he says and I blink, before looking off to the side, one way, the other, before meeting his gaze, and I can't help the smile. Can't help the words that tumble from my mouth, the reference.

"This my family, it is small, and broken, still good... yeah, still good!" And I laugh lightly. Before shaking my head and looking down. "Maybe... but, Clan!" I take a deep breath and look up at my parents. "Origin im-po-tent! Need learn!" because that's _important_ , even if we have been adopted into the Hatake(which seems incredibly likely considering the way we've _stayed_ here). The Uchiha Clan is still ultimately the one we belong to. If only because of our Kekkei Genkai.

If only because we have a trait that is _incredibly Clan specific_. It's not something we can really dodge or hide, and that's why I smile at Kakashi. Closing my eyes, because now. Now is the time for us both to learn. About our own clans, our own families. And I can't argue about it, I can't even want to argue. Because _I want to learn about my Clan_. I want to learn about the Uchiha, and where I belong. Because now, after nine years, I am finally settling in. But now I'm caught not knowing.

"Time to learn!" I say opening my eyes back up. "Home time!" I clasp my hands together before stepping backwards and standing with my parents.

"We can't stay here forever Kakashi-kun!" Okaasan says softly as Kakashi puffs himself up. Pakkun wanders out, the small pug shuffling over with curiosity. "Unfortunately, it's just not a viable option. We do still have our own house within the Uchiha Compound after all," and I rapidly nod my head. "And besides we can't intrude anymore on your hospitality Sakumo, especially not while you're hosting the rest of your Clan from out of Konohagakure!"

"Yes, that would just be inappropriate. And don't you worry Kashi-chan," Kakashi makes the most affronted face possible at Otousan's pet name for him. "We'll visit every chance we get. Obito-chan is still your teammate after all!"

"You'll of course be invited over once the baby comes as well!"

"Haii!" I clap my hands happily at just the mention, before slipping my hand into Okaasan's one. We wave to the Hatake Clan as we go and neither of my parents give Sakumo _or_ Kakashi another chance to interrupt.

It's for the best.

And this change is for me. Because time and change marches ever forwards. It's something we can't stop. And with this one slipping in... I can accept this. And, if I give a small look back at the Hatake Clan compound as we leave, well... that's my problem.

* * *

I hum, happily swinging my legs a little bit off the ground beneath the chair that I'm sitting on beside Okaasan while Otousan talks to one of the Clan elders. I don't know their name, I wasn't really paying attention. It's not really like it matters anyway, although I do lift my head as Otousan's voice raises in volume making it slightly less muffled through the door. Okaasan shakes her own and I return to just humming pretty quickly. Playing with some thread in my hands.

Finger knitting really.

I remember vaguely how to do it. So that's what I'm doing, and really, if anything it's good practice. Because for hand seals you need the dexterity. So I'm just playing around, and doing that. While also wasting time with something that's interesting. Loop, loop, loop. From top to bottom, back again. I hum as I repeat the motions, happily absorbing myself in the familiar pattern.

Right up until the door slams back open and I can hear some swearing.

"Netsu!" Okaasan's voice raises in warning and Otousan momentarily looks abashed before he takes a deep breath. Rising one hand to cover his eyes he blows it out before giving us both one of those horrible strained smiles. The one that says something is wrong but that he's trying to pretend that absolutely everything is fine.

Nothing wrong here.

"Tou?"

"Come on then! We're going to visit my imouto!"

"Mi! Mi!" I cheerfully say, before hopping up. Waving one hand before dropping them back down and remembering the finger knitting. Careful, careful. We walk slowly, and I can here Okaasan and Otousan whispering furiously to each other as we go. But it's not quite loud enough for me to really puzzle out for myself. So instead I focus on my finger knitting and where we're heading. Humming happily as we go. But at the same time.

I am not oblivious.

I can feel the Clan's eyes watching us. Something has changed, something has shifted. I don't know what, but I raise my head just a little bit. Just enough. Other members of the clan _are watching_. Some of them seem happy to see us again, others apprehensive and some, I just can't place the expressions. But really, I don't blame them all that much, I mean it's only just been a year since I blew up our house.

Time eases things sure, but that's provided that there's enough of it. A year is hardly enough time in this case. But... there's something else that's nagging at me about the way that everyone is watching us. About the guarding of their gazes. And it makes me lower my head again, focusing once more on my finger knitting. Ignoring the twist in my stomach until we reach Mikoto-Hakubo's house.

"Mi! Mi!" I call happily as the door opens, and then almost automatically pout when it's not Mikoto-hakubo on the other side by Fugaku-shukufu. "Fuu..." I have no reason to pout, absolutely none. But I'm pouting anyway. Fugaku-shukufu is wearing one of the most unimpressed looks that I've seen to date.

And trust me, I've seen _a lot_.

I've always been pretty good at getting people to pull them. And I can't help it, I grin, the expression lighting up my face. Fugaku-shukufu can only sigh before he invites us in. He waves Okaasan and Otousan over to the table and meanwhile, I settle myself down onto the rug in the living room. Ready to continue my finger knitting since it seems as though Mikoto-hakubo is away for the moment.

Probably sleeping.

After all, Itachi was only just born a few days ago. Three days now. So Mikoto-hakubo deserves her sleep. Babies are exhausting. Just, exhausting. I don't really pay any attention to what my parents and Fugaku-shukufu are discussing, because at this point it doesn't particularly matter to me.

And if it does matter...

Well, they'll let me know. After all, I've made it this far. I made it through the academy with sheer determination and will, I've been learning fuinjutsu and... I'm a genin. But still. I drop my hands and look up, out the window at the leaves swaying on the tree outside. I am still not the healthiest. And I'm smaller than everyone else my age. Some children much younger than me are still taller than me. Because if you've got one thing wrong with your system it screws up everything else. My growth has been slowed because a lot of my subconscious energy is being redirected.

I'm not oblivious.

I know that I'm still in pain. I just _don't feel it anymore_. Until it rises all the more. Until it spikes and something clicks off, and it becomes overwhelming again. It's amazing what the human body can adapt to deal with, what it can learn to just shut out and block off.

I'm not oblivious.

I know something is going on in the Clan compound. Something important aside from Itachi's birth... and I know that something is going on with other clans. Because the Hatake Clan travelled all this way...

I'm not oblivious.

But sometimes, I really wish that I were.

It's one of those things, would you prefer to be blissful in your ignorance, or be scared in your understanding. They say ignorance is bliss, but at the same time; knowing is half the battle. And I know. Just by the subtle shift around Konoha something is happening. Something is coming... and I knew before. The _Third Shinobi War_. But. This is not that, something else is creating this shift and I just...

I look over to the table where everyone is sitting drinking tea. Down at my knitting, and then I take a deep breath. Shuddering in my chest, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know what's going on.

But it feels wrong.

Otousan finally stands up along with Okaasan and Fugaku-shukufu doesn't move from his place. Although he does shoot me a glance. But I focus on my parents, who both look a bit bittersweet about something. They both look at one another before Okaasan nods her head, and Otousan sighs.

I stand up, ready to begin signing my questions, but.

"Seems like you'll be staying here for a little bit Obito-chan" what? I stop right in my tracks and just stare with wide eyes at Otousan. My mind turns the phrase over again and, nope, still doesn't compute. "Don't worry, everything will be sorted soon, it's just clan politics getting in the way" he explains kneeling down next to me, and I still...

I still can't understand. Staying here, oh I can understand that part but, why does it sound like I'll be doing that alone? What's going on?

"Be good for Mikoto-san and Fugaku-sama won't you?" Okaasan says and I nod my head on autopilot. Numb, and in some distant state of shock. "It'll be okay, Obi-chan!" she says coming over and gently wrapping me up into a hug and- I close my eyes, snuggling just a touch. Able to feel her familiar chakra, the distant point of newness of my future sibling, and... To just surround myself with her familiar comforting scent. It's over far too quickly as she straightens and nods to Fugaku. Who's maintained the same blank unimpressed look the entire time. I look over at him in bewilderment.

"Don't worry. We will get this sorted out!" Otousan says, firming himself up and I just, I still don't quite know what's going on.

"Of that I have no doubt." Fugaku-shukufu says with a slight incline of his head. "Until then be assured we'll take care of Obito-kun while he's here." I blink, lowering my head just slightly. Eyes not quite looking anywhere as my brow furrows and my expression flickers in so many small ways. "Just... be careful okay?"

"Of course itoko!" Otousan waves as they leave and just...

What's going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the arc has officially started! I mean, well it had already started, but now it's officially beginning and man. It's going to be hard. Because clan politics and mess and just... welp, here you go. Enjoy. Also plenty of upheaval and confusion in the future. Prepare yourself for being incredibly lost... And probably grab some panadol or other headache reliever because political stuff.
> 
> Also, I'm actually taking a lot of notes in the meantime because keeping track of this arc is going to be a huge mess. What with two clans being a mess rather than just the one... So yeah.


	29. Clan Heir: Heritage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here's a whole bunch o' updates. Because guess what today is? Well okay, that's not fair! It's my nineteenth! Seventh of May so whoo!

Okay, the fact is... Shinobi Clans work a bit strangely. A bit differently. Different to each other, but especially different to all those I remember from my past life. Mostly because I can't think of any real clans that I knew of in my past life except the ones vaguely mentioned in History Books. And the line of succession there was... murky. Bloodline sure, but also challenging the head or something like that.

In Shinobi Clans though. It's a bit harder.

Because you could challenge the head sure. But there's a cultural repercussion, it's generally frowned upon unless the head is seriously doing something that _nobody is happy with_. Fugaku is currently the Clan Head, for a year or two now. He became head of the Clan when I was seven. I'll reiterate my original point, it must weigh on him a lot. So much expectation and responsibility. Anyway, you can't really challenge the leader of a Shinobi Clan's headship, because culturally it's frowned on due to the emphasis on loyalty. But, you can question the position of the heirship. Where it's going to go towards the next generation. That's how Fugaku _(well actually Mikoto-hakubo, but she allocated it to Fugaku)_ ended up heir and now head. Now this is the thing succession in a shinobi clan is chosen by considering four BIG things.

Power, Potential, Prestige, and of course Bloodline.

No, I don't mean our Kekkei Genkai with that. I mean how far you can trace your bloodline back in the clan. _People have charts, and scrolls longer than Fugaku-shukufu is tall._ It's all taken very seriously, to the point where I've been dragged into it all. Because of who I'm apparently related to, through Otousan.

Because of my growth and determination, even though I'm _not_ particularly powerful now. Apparently the elders _have_ been watching me, and they've been impressed. Anyone wondering how I fit prestige should also probably remember that I'm well known just for the fact that I'm one of the few, _incredible few_ with chakra hypersensitivity to ever actually make it through and to graduate from the Academy. So just by that fact I'm pretty well set up to be known by a lot of people in and around the village, and thus within the Uchiha Clan. Prestige all set up, because it's all tied up in notoriety and fame. My bloodline also fits the requirements(because of course that line actually meant a _direct relation_ , of course), and now I've been pushed into this position where I'm literally been considered as Clan Heir.

Which is why I'm staying with Fugaku-shukfu and Mikoto-hakubo for the moment.

Politics.

Honestly, it gives me all a headache.

Also, you may be wondering why I know this... well, I just had it all explained to me. By Fugaku-shukufu. Along with a few other bits and pieces of traditions, including one fact about Uchiha Funerals that is forever going to haunt me. _I mean I went to Obaasan's funeral_. I mean, it's understandable considering the culture of this world, but hell. No Party Like a Donner Party indeed. At least history wise anyway, I would feel more freaked out about it... but honestly, that's just the way things are in this world. But... next funeral I think I might subtly double check the meat dishes.

Aside that, there's of course the more usual about weddings and divorces and all that. Along with a few rules about honor duels and challenges. You know the usual, all things considered for a warrior society. For the shinobi clan that we are.

And while some of it is really screwed up, and kind of squicks me out... It's just the way that things are in this life. In this place, in my Clan.

I can only take a deep breath and rub the side of my head. Because this stuff is a pain to try and understand. I would much rather be back in the Hatake Clan compound snuggled up in a blanket nest with Kakashi. Sakumo and my parents probably in their own pile nearby, more to keep him company. To remind him... to help... to... to... Oh, that might be why Sakumo's still alive. Aside the fact that my parents would have done the typical _suicide watch_ actions, he would have been able to see, to feel and tell that he was loved. Needed and cared for. Although now I have no idea if that will remain the same. Hopefully it will.

Hopefully, because it would absolutely _break_ Kakashi to lose his Otousan. Especially now, especially... with how it affected him in canon. Driving him so much, and causing him to push everything away. To try and prove so much, only to fail in what really mattered. Only to fail because he was scared. Unable to cope with the idea that someone else could be taken away by death...

 _And I_ _know how that goes_.

You push and push, try to convince yourself that you don't care, to the point that you care soo much. And it all comes crashing down, shattering into thousands of pieces on the ground.

And... I think... at this point, considering how young we are, how heavy life is. If Sakumo were to die even now, it would have pretty much the same result. Or a really similar one. But I could be underestimating things... since I honestly have no idea how my friendship has affected Kakashi so far. How our team has affected him, how anything that's been happening has affected him. Since I'm not a mind reader. I mean seriously.

Sitting here right now, in a pile of papers and scrolls, I could never have predicted that this was what the Clan was thinking as we walked through the compound. I could not have predicted any of this. _Itachi's supposed to be the one in this position_. With the direct line to inherit. Not me.

But then again.

I'm also supposed to be an orphan, so is Kakashi... Minato is supposed to be our sensei and Rin-chan my best friend.

With all these changes piling up I should stop expecting things to remain predictable and similar to what I remember of the prime timeline. I can't, and that's why I'm stuck here, caught up in clan politics that I would love nothing more than to ignore as best I can while casually going around with my team and changing the world for the better. Or perhaps for the worst, who can really tell? The fact is though, I would much prefer being out and about with my team, or even just wandering around the village with Kakashi and Gai having a day off than being stuck here learning about politics because of my heritage.

I mean the tradition side of things is interesting.

But I get this disconnect between what I'm learning and what I already know. Because it still feels _other_ , it's their tradition not mine, and I'm just someone who's observing everything. Just someone observing the whole thing for a study. For the sake of some paper. It is not quite... not quite connecting to me. And honestly, that's somewhat upsetting. Because I already passed the developmental stages in my previous life. But at the same time, the ones in this life are shifting those and superimposing themselves.

I trust, because my parents always tried so hard(across both lives really). As an infant I was helpless, so helpless, and they done their very best. So I trust... maybe a bit too easily even now. Even when I know...

It takes a lot, and I mean _a lot_ for me to ever truly hate someone, I find it easier to hate concepts. To blame a system of things...

But then, we have independence, or shame. And here's where it's all mixed up. Because I know, I was supported on both sides... If a little babied previously. And here my parents, Okaasan and Otousan even encouraged me to make choices for myself... but I was already a ball of anxiety, and I cling. And right after, it's about taking the initiative in choices or allowing guilt to hold you back...

Unfortunately, this is where my ingrained issues just from being reborn reared their head. I will make choices, I know how to take the initiative and care for things. I know, how to be a leader even if I don't like it. But, at the same time just the fact that I am who I am... I feel the guilt of a life not my own.

This mix up, this is all that's left of my heritage from my previous life. Because anything else no longer applies. It's not here, it's not something that I can reach for. It's not... It's not something that I can just go back and deal with. And neither is finding my place, figuring out what's normal and what's not. It's not easy, because my normal has completely shifted.

_It's normal to be in a small bit of pain._

_It's normal to not know when you'll just need to curl up due to pain._

_It's normal remembering to breathe every day._

_It's normal... it's normal to feel things this much._

It's normal.

It's not. But to everyone, _everyone_ normal is slightly different. It's one of the most subjective words I know. So to me, all this is normal. And, if I get myself involved in enough of the Clan's traditions. Learn enough of them now, they'll become normal as well. Because people are like sponges, we absorb whatever we're surrounded by. And even adults who should know better can get trapped in bad situations not because they grew up conditioned to accept it, but because they conditioned themselves. Trapped themselves. Our brains adapt, our bodies adapt and our worldview shifts to protect us in a way.

Unfortunately learned helplessness is a thing. Brainwashing is a thing. Stockholm Syndrome, Lima Syndrome is a thing. And those are things observed in adults who didn't grow up in screwed up homes, with health issues or anything.

They learned those things, and shifted their _normal_ to match.

So what truly is normal? I couldn't say.

But tradition is important. So that's why I'm determined to learn as much as I can about it while here, and to bury myself in it. Because _belonging_ is also important. And to belong I need to feel like I do. Like I understand, and it needs to be normal. So I need to push my old values back and to... Shift.

I mean, I have shifted a bit. Already, because we've grown up been taught to kill, to fight. To survive. Not that I wasn't a bit cracked with my morals before. I mean for a while my special interest was serial killers and crime so... sketchy, very sketchy. And now I'm here. With shinobi all around me and shinobi morals leading my own. But I still won't know how effective this life's doctrine has been until I'm faced with my first actual kill.

I won't know.

Who knows if that's a good thing or not. As for the rest of everything, all this. I'm just going to have to sit back, relax and see where it goes. But I really, really don't want to inherit the position of Clan Head. Because honestly Fugaku-shukufu already seems low-key stressed out ninety percent of the time. But then that could also be because he doubles as the head of police...

I'm kind of worried about him.

He needs a break. Just a really long break. A trip to the beach filled with relaxation. It's such a pity that I can't think of any such place here, aside Uzushiogakure maybe... except Uzushio is well, gone. Has been gone for years now, which honestly sucks. They didn't deserve their fate. But to be fair, not many people really ever do. Unless they've really, really crossed the line.

_Pedophiles, Rapists, Extremists_

You know... The worst kind of people. The people who actually manage to cross the line and make me _hate_ them. _Me!_ The person who's really bad at not trusting people, and who gives out so many second chances you might as well call me Dumbledore level of forgiving. Although, to be fair on myself I knew Voldemort was beyond redemption, and that the Death Eaters had majorly crossed the lines that you just don't(Although, even then, I had trouble blaming them because really... the Wizarding World was just stuck in a _screwball failure system_ )... also Umbridge. No she was not worthy of repentance.

Anyway, back to my original point. I'm really worried about Fugaku-shukufu, he needs a break. Just seriously, a break to spend with his family. Because Itachi is still brand new to this world and I don't know how much contact he has actually had with his father. Oh I know Mikoto-hakubo has been the most attentive mother she can be, always there. And I also have pitched in. Although I swear, one more diaper duty shift and I will commit silent mutiny(right after changing it, of course because no one deserves lying in _filth_ ). No but seriously, Itachi is the same tooth rottingly adorable as any other infant.

Just as noisy and demanding as well.

Was I that loud? Probably. I mean it's not like I done much pretending to be an infant. Or a toddler for that matter. Being that helpless just led to screaming, wailing and carrying on. Add the fact I was deep in guilt and a mess of emotions and well... I'm pretty sure my early years in this life didn't really betray anything until I entered the Academy and then... who knows. But that's just me assuming things really, because what do I know about really little children and the developmental checkpoints that you're supposed to meet?

And here lying down on my belly watching Itachi in his crib I don't know how different it even is here. Because wow. Itachi already has eyes that shine with something I can't describe, and I know that in the future he's going to be seen as a prodigy... Although, some prodigy he'll be. A bit genre blind that one.

I mean seriously, _seriously_ , if he'd just stopped for a moment and asked some questions about what was going on...

Not that I can blame him. I mean thirteen is a pretty stupid age all around. A stupid that doesn't really stop until around sixteen/seventeen. This coming from the idiot who was only just seventeen the year that they ended up here... so now, had I continued aging I'd be... twenty-six, which wow, that's just _weird_ to think about. Just, weird.

As it is though, I'm _nine_. I've been a Genin for about three months now. I mean I was part of the Spring Graduation class, in March. Along with the rest of my team. The next class to graduate will be later this year in September... which is also, when I think Naruto's group graduated in canon but honestly the timeline there is really sketchy... also further in the future. _Much further_. Well, okay, not really all that much further considering Itachi has now been born but I don't like thinking about it really because it's enough to start internal screaming back up.

Not that I'm not always kind of doing that really.

Kind of hard to stop honestly...

There's a lot of things to scream about really. From the understandable, to the incomprehensible to everyone else but me. Not mentioning the screaming that's in joy over something that impresses/excites me.

Living with a hyperactive excited mental thought train and inner voice kind of does that to you really. Not sure if this is an autism thing or just a me thing either... since hey, I know I'm autistic, and proud. And well, that's something that is obviously part of my heritage in this world as well. I mean if there is one thing that the Uchiha Clan isn't, it's neurotypical. It's _normal_ , Autism is normal, and that's the greatest thing ever. Although it's not recognized as Autism here, I can actually recall one of my Yamanaka classmates discussing it as the Uchiha Clan Spectrum which is well...

Something from the Warring States Era that hasn't gone away.

But to be fair that's a lot of things really, especially with Clan traditions. And well, we are some of the first children of peace times... except not really since we're growing up as _war children_. Since another war is going off over our heads. _Thanks Iwa_. And more subtly, _thanks Danzo_ , because you know what, the guy has his fingers in so many pies I would be more suspicious if he didn't have something to do with this than if he did. Business as usual and all.

It's just kind of what I expect unfortunately.

_Normal_

I wonder how long it will actually take for the word Autism to be coined...

I hum splaying out my fingers against the tatami floor below me before pushing myself up. Sitting up, to Itachi's little bubbling giggles. Not that it takes much to entertain him at this age, but it's enough to make me beam. A bright grin, before I stumble to my feet and tilt my head. One way, then the other before blinking and turning around. Nothing is out of place but I narrow my eyes anyway.

Mikoto-hakubo is taking a nap, and Fugaku-shukufu last I knew was sitting at the table in the kitchen sipping coffee and doing some paperwork. A mix of clan budget and information(and probably whatever mess of paperwork I've created simply by ending up here) and bits and pieces from the Military Police. And yet, something is pinging to my senses, something extra. Something else that really shouldn't be here.

Or maybe they should, I mean what do I know. This is a blank period from canon. A period of time that we know next to nothing about. Only theories and ideas, only speculation. So for all I know this event isn't random, isn't a change... But then, Obito only ever showed something more post-Madara. He only really showed that spark, and the true knowledge and potential he had later.

At least, from the perspective of most.

His scores were also some of the lowest for the longest possible time. Despite it being incredibly weird considering that he _kept up with Canon-Kakashi_ which either meant he had issues with standardized tests(relatable), someone(or something) was meddling with the scores or... perhaps standards were just higher. And considering my own Databook scores, I... Just don't know.

Not that I really put much merit into the databook scores since again, they're standardized. And tests can be weird with their accuracy. For many reasons. Besides in a shinobi village most people throw them out the window, and judge you based on your mission history more, and the merits of the actual abilities you showcase. The only people who the databook scores are really for are the papernin(paperwork ninja), and the Civilians. But it is something that I need to sit up and pay attention to, because of course.

There are some politics behind Databoook scores. Considering they serve as some advertising and publicity in regards to the civilians. And they're also the scores sent off, to be placed into the access all bingo books given to the public, civilians are everywhere after all. So it's politics and advertising. Six o' one half a dozen of the other...

Yet more stuff I have to learn about and study though, because you need to know this stuff apparently if you're going to be the future clan head, or even just clan heir. It's enough to make me groan and rub my head simply thinking about it all. I don't understand how I've managed to get myself tangled up in this web of politics and mess. Just by being myself really. Because even now it's not like there is anyone else I can really be.

Except you know...

I was in drama classes. Acting classes. Stand up and misdirect the crowd. Be someone completely different, completely new.

That was always fun.

_Lights! Camera! ACTING!_

And it's not like I was bad at it. Stage Fright aside, which was surprisingly rare with me. Considering well _introvert_. I suppose it was all about getting into character though, and in some ways. I stop and look at Itachi who's making small happy noises, I smile, closing my eyes.

In some ways what is this but another role to step up and take?

A new life, a new role, a new place to find. We're lost in ourselves, we need to find our way out, find ourselves to step up and forwards.

Hebrews 12:1 _Let us also throw off every weight_

And I can feel yet another shift within myself. Another kind of click that causes me to stumble, startled before catching myself and shaking my head. Well, that's a thing. Another settle, another hurdle jumped, another step taken. Although what that is I don't entirely know. I just know that now I feel more settled and safe, and. I straighten up, feeling more whole than mere moments before. I look over to Itachi who's back to sleeping, so easily and I can only grin.

This is just another step.

Another change and maybe, just maybe I don't really have to fear that after all.

Since the future is meant to stretch open wide and unknown ahead of us. We're supposed to take things day by day, worry only for each days own problems and worry not for what the future may bring.

Matthew 6:34 _So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles._

Even if I do still have a basic map of it, that's merely an outline that grows fuzzier and fuzzier each day. Bending and twisting like a sunbeam in a puzzle. I can only worry about the immediate, should only worry about the immediate. And if all else, there is that one bit of advice I remember from some quote. _Fake it 'til you make it_. If anything else.

Pretending is one thing I'm good at.

Aside being one stubborn cookie and determined, and persistent. Resolved. I am not one to turn back once I've made a decision, and I'm not one to allow others to tell me what my path should or shouldn't be. I will make my own choices, my own decisions and you know what.

Canon has been gone for so long now. Dead and buried. So I might as well plough ahead and see how this turns out.

_Let me try!_


	30. Clan Heir: Places Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have since retaken an IQ test because I'm older now, and was curious and the score given by the character in this fic is now incorrect because hey. I've grown a bit, improved with age. My actual IQ is apparently now 131(as of the 18th of May 2017), considering the test referenced within the story was taken September 6th 2014.

My brain has stopped braining.

I cannot process anymore of this. It's too much. Too many politics and rules, and hell even all the traditions are too much. At least today is a break day, for what it's worth. Considering it's just another day to spend with my team and I just... I don't particularly want to go on any mission today. By the way Kakashi settles himself down on the grass beside me, and just lets out a breath, I think he's in much the same mind.

Too much politics. Too much information all at once.

Which is curious really. Because it's unexpected. From the  _genius_ of our Generation, the true genius... Although, to be fair, and completely honest my IQ score in my previous life was nothing to sneeze at, an IQ of 110. I mean that's probably average, or just a bit above but hey, it impressed me. Especially considering that I had never encountered such a test previously.

I mean, the number sequences were similar to mathematics, the word scramble, picture patterns... and all that. But I was curious why there wasn't more to do with sound recognition... and correlation but well... I guess that it was what it was. I mean there was a list of something and identify the one with the least amount of relation to the others but well... It's not like the score really matters. Because it's not measuring your level of logic, or street smarts. Or anything that really matters. Since intelligence itself is something incredibly hard to define. Simply by the fact that as I am aware from the perspective of a person with ASD it takes a lot of brain power to understand a special interest. To be able to quantify and store that information. Who cares if it's  _useless_  information, or something nonsensical. The fact that we can hyperfocus on it and just know in a snap. Well, I would like to say that makes us genii as well. Just of a completely different sort, in a different place.

I mean, I could talk(well,  _sign_ ) your ear off about theoretical science, dimensions,  _fuinjutsu_ , mythology(though it would come out a bit muddled) and well yeah. Also certain periods of history that I just buried myself in, lynxes, fennec foxes, fox legends, jackals... Animals in general maybe? And like that takes a serious amount of brain power but nobody would call me a genius for knowing that stuff, aside the Fuinjutsu here and now. Instead it would be enthusiast. Or possibly delusional considering the history that I know never happened in this world...

Or maybe it did, but so long ago that the cycle has since stopped and begun anew.

Who knows?

Fact is though, my brain has just switched off for the moment. Unless it's something I am already familiar with or something that I actually like. No more new things please! Especially not Clan Politics and Policies. If I have to hear yet more about curtesy and manners I will scream. Not even mentioning all how you're supposed to talk and greet foreign shinobi, kunoichi and Daimyo(also other important Civilians with Political power). But honestly that's stuff I already know, give to each the honor they're due.

It might be hard sometimes but hell if it won't turn out for the better for you if you respect them and regard them with the honor of their positon... Barring a few positions that are just not really ones deserving of honor despite the culture surrounding them. In which case, respect them as a person but nothing more... Celebrities, I'm looking at you. Also interestingly enough, this is also why I don't consider the Sannin as much more than high ranked Jonin, because that's more of what they are. Celebrities... also all ninja in the Bingo Book and well, it gets messy. Although, that's weird... because well, positional respect.

Genin<Chunin<Jonin<Hokage

Nukenin are rogue and off the record, but still deserve respect as people, if only so they don't kill you instantly. I mean hey, if you're polite to your kidnapper or opponent you get respect in return and they might cool off a bit. Words do have power, and while anger stirs up more anger, calm words can be a healing balm...

Maybe that's why Naruto's therapy no Jutsu worked so well... Nah. It was more of a weird 'Chosen One' thing, possibly with some kind of Ninshu background bullshit.

Still everyone deserves at least some respect, and I can understand that. This mindset is also probably partially why my brain has decided to just quit. Because there's the expectation to interact with certain clans and people around me in a certain way. In a way that I just can't because it doesn't connect in my head.

Especially because there's certain roles. Certain perceptions that I'm supposed to match. Especially regarding civilians(backbone of society) and merchants(Clan merchants or not), Romani Clans, and other Shinobi Clans. Particularly the Hyuga Clan, who we're supposed to be 'better' than. Considering our dojutsu. And rivalry. But also there's the sort of dismissal to clans like the Inuzuka(what? why?) and the Aburame(recipe for disaster, they are still a fellow Noble Clan isolated or not) and it's just awkward. Because the roles that those clans fill just confuse me as to how anyone could consider them lesser.

Also the 'newer' shinobi clans, the ones who're only a few generations in. Like the Maito Clan, which well fair enough, but I  _know_ Gai, and looking down on him just sounds like a mistake. But honestly, looking down on anyone seems like a mistake to me. It's pretty much  _begging_  to get your  _ass kicked_. Just, I am not willing to match that part of the expectation. Just, giving respect is a better idea. Especially when there's a reason that people have the skills that they do. Also looking down on civilians is moronic because outside of the shinobi villages well... Minorities and all that.

I mean, I don't know the exact percentages but well... It's something like 30% of people are shinobi but I don't know. It's weird. Also, I'm pretty sure that the judging and looking down thing is the Elders being well... the Elders. Nosy and stuck in the past.

_Back in my day!_

Bleh. Time is always marching on you know. And those old views are going to end in disaster. I mean I've already seen one path that could be taken. One path, from canon, and that definitely didn't end well and happily.

I close my eyes and let out a breath. Lying down on the grass with the wind swaying my hair, and curling my fingers just enough in the grass. It's nice, relaxing and eases some things. I can feel Kushina-shishou close by, standing with Rin-chan and Kakashi is right beside me. He's not quite lying down in relief, but is probably pretty close. Because it's just exhausting to deal with expectation constantly, along with all the lessons.

And I thought that table manners were hard to remember. A spoon, fork and knife for everything.

I can almost miss the simplicity of table manners now...

Almost...

Not really. I mean, as simple as it seems in hindsight it was just as hard, if not harder to learn all of that stuff.

Another deep breath, and I open my eyes to stare up at the sky. Until Kushina-shishou blocks it out standing over me with a far, far too amused grin on her upside down face. I certainly do not pout, even as I push myself up and give her an unamused look of my own. Stretching out and up, before easily springing to my feet and looking over to where Kakashi has rolled over and commenced what I like to call, futile screaming at the ground.

It's a familiar position.

Although normally I take it when I can't string together enough words to defeat the blank page...

Or when someone's been unfairly mean calling my writing stupid, without giving me anything to improve it.

It's cathartic.

Usually.

"Kaa... 'nuff!" I poke him, and only get grumbles in response. "Spar..." because we're not learning anything new that's for sure, and last I checked we didn't have any new D-Ranks to do... Which I also figured some things out about, looking in hindsight with a clearer head. And some explaining from the Elders.

Apparently most D-Ranks work on a week to two week long contract basis... explains why we kept getting sent to clean up the sewers... A two week long job according to the sheets... which means for a months-worth, we do around three D-Ranks, and yeah. It clears things up, because otherwise really. If they were that simple to do... and well, the Gardening ones kind of  _are_  if you're paying attention. But the contract doesn't void until it's completely over and done with.

Also explains why we  _weren't_ doing multiple a day like I thought that we could... It still evens out with the money given though, and explains the high reward much better as well.

The remaining time is covered with training. Team Building exercises, identification exercises and stealth.

It's interesting to realize really.

Honestly I'm just glad that we're out of septic duty hell. And now neck deep in the hell that is  _clan politics_  instead... The sewer is probably the lesser of two evils honestly.

"Kaa~" I poke Kakashi again, almost singing out his little call. "Kaa c'mon!" I pout before tugging him up much to his floppy attempt at refusal. Now is not the time for him to play deadweight though. "Kaa!" He mutters something intelligible into the ground and I basically let his drop. Not that he's got far to go.

I'm  _too short_.

I cross my arms and basically puff up before stalking over to Rin-chan so much like an insulted kitten. I am not playing this game today. And when Rin-chan looks far to amused I allow myself to actually hiss before turning my nose up. Yes... I can do dramatics. Besides this, I yelp, a lot. Animals and their responses are so much better to use sometimes than humans, even if it only ends up with people around me being amused.

Kushina-shishou claps her hands together, amused, before she pulls Kakashi up. He crosses his arms unimpressed, while I simply watch.

"Alright then 'ttebane!" Kushina-shishou grins while Kakashi continues to grump. "I guess that means that you two will spar first 'ttebane!"

"Haiii!"

"Alright sensei!"

We both stand up, taking our positions from across one another. The seal of confrontation, ready, aim.

"Taijutsu only!" I nod my head as Kushina-shishou drops her arm down. No ninjutsu, no genjutsu, no fuinjutsu. Just pure movement. In, out, ducking and jumping, forwards and back. Redirecting, and flowing through the movement. It's a deadly dance.

Rin-chan has improved so much.

Much, better than what she was originally, simply support. And now, I pull myself back and bend over to avoid pokes. Pressure points, and the follow through with a sort of backwards flip. Hands on the ground and spinning. It's so weird how the experience I have with circles and spinning is helping here. I mean, I would expect to be more dizzy.

But no, I'm moving just as fast as usual. Moving easily around Rin-chan's movements as she flows around, and redirects my own. I'd be more annoyed, but this is fun, it's safe, and I'm not really needing to learn anything more than what I know to do it. It's practice. Especially as I spin and twist, moving in ways that would seem so weird to those who aren't familiar with ninja flexibility. I have no idea how fast we're moving, or anything, I just know that it feels good.

Because Rin-chan's improving, and catching up. There's no way that our Rin-chan is useless. She's the best medic, and hell, with Kushina-shishou teaching her... well she's not lagging behind. She's not forgotten or neglected.

And then I slip, Rin-chan's quick to take advantage, moving to slam her hand forwards. Pushing the air out and sending me backwards simultaneously. I grit my teeth, barely managing to catch myself and flip back up, sucking in a breath, ignoring the sting, and instead blocking with my left arm to turn her follow up around. Narrow eyes, and a vicious grin as I sweep my leg out, and she jumps.

And wow...

This is familiar.

Although the players are different. She's being blocked by my arms and jumping up high over me to finish. In the anime that happened with Kakashi...

She lands, and I shake my head. Shake away the memories, and dart forwards. Only to stop when I see Kushina-shishou bring her hand down.

Ending the session. Ending the spar.

The seal of reconciliation.

And I beam at Rin-chan. Because it feels good that we're all improving, reaching this point. Finding our places. Kakashi stands up from his position and kind of stalks forwards onto the battlefield. I move to the side, sitting down crossing my legs beneath me, and resting one hand on my cheek. Ready to watch.

I do grab my flask of water though, gulping down several mouthfuls. And before they spar even Rin-chan gets a moment to have a quick drink.

Until it starts again.

Rin-chan versus Kakashi...

The result's obvious before it even begins. Kushina-shishou's hand drops...

* * *

I dangle my hand and fingers just within Itachi's reach. Letting my tiny juutei laugh, reaching and grasping them with his tiny hands. Curling his own small stubby fingers around them and smiling a dopy baby grin up at me. And I laugh along with him, being gentle as I possibly can.

"Obito-chan!" I look up, to see Mikoto-hakubo standing in the doorway, Fugaku-shukufu right beside her. Her expression is soft, but there's something there, and I gently pull my hand back, leaving Itachi and walking over to my hakubo and shukufu. Putting my hands behind my back and peering up at them expectantly.

"Why aren't you in lessons right now with Isamu-san?"

"He sent me away..." I sign honestly. Rolling my eyes just a touch. Mythology lessons with Isamu are... well they're something. Mostly talking about the relation of said mythology to the Sharingan though. It's a bit of a headache. I mean I like mythology but there is a point where it needs to take a back seat. Especially when it's constantly been related back to the same thing.

Amaterasu is the black fire that burns, and I know that, related to the sun and burning, something, something judgement.

Tsukuyomi, the strongest genjutsu, and how it's related to the moon kami by the same name. Well illusions always did fit with the moon.

Susanoo still doesn't make much sense though. Even with Isamu explaining it to me, I don't get what storms and seas has to do with summoning a giant battle aura and avatar to fight for you...

"I don't think I'm learning much..." not from him anyway. He might be learning more from me really. Considering side mythology. Oni and Kappa, the various types of Shiryō, which includes the more  _western versions_  of them, talking about dragons... Phoenixes and yeah. "know too much already"

Fugaku-shukufu takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose while Mikoto-hakubo smiles, bringing one hand up in an attempt to hide her amusement just slightly. Not that it really works. I tilt my head curious about his reaction before he kind of sweeps out of the room, frustrated. Did... did I do something wrong. Mikoto shakes her head, before walking across the room quickly, and lifting Itachi out of his crib.

I hesitate for a handful of moments before following after Fugaku-shukufu. I find him in the scroll room.

Carefully I walk over and seat myself down beside him. It's seiza of course. But there's something interesting about this, because in front of us, a small little thing. A familiar thing, even if I've never really visited one before. A personal shrine. It's not open, not yet, but I can recognise it... a little worship box. Wonder which kami it's for, or if it's a generalized one... or maybe it's for our Sosou, to pay our respects to them...

I don't know.

I keep quiet either way, sitting by Fugaku-shukufu until he opens his eyes back up and finally seems to notice my presence.

"Fuu?" I venture and he takes a deep breath, before reaching out to the small shrine and opening it. I tilt my head curious, before widening my eyes, because that's... Izanagi-no-Okami, and his sister kami Izanami-no-kami, the two who created... and who are related to the clan's kinjutsu. The ones that our eyes have access to in the Mangekyo state.

Izanagi, the ability to rewrite reality and time just by believing it.

Izanami, the ability to loop time around to teach a lesson, forcing understanding.

Both are kinjutsu, not just because of the price to pay, but because of how they work. How much damage each could do. And yet, they're only ever whispered about, as if merely talking of them may bring disaster. And yet here Fugaku-shukufu has a personal shrine to the two kami that they're named for. The two they're related to. I give him a sideways questioning look and he merely shakes his head.

Indicating that I should remain silent.

So I do, even as the incense is lit up and he clasps his hands, bowing his head.

There's a strange tingling, racing up and down my back. And there's an impulse to get up and leave. But I take a deep breath instead, closing my eyes, bowing my head, hands moving to clasp themselves together. Ignoring the tingling, the feeling and instead holding myself there.

And the feeling leaves. But at the same time.

I don't open my eyes.

I can't, because I can't feel Fugaku-shukufu anymore. I can't sense Mikoto-hakubo and Itachi... I can't even really feel the ground that I was kneeling in the seiza on anymore. There's nothing around me, and I keep breathing. Keep my eyes closed, because I don't know what will happen if I open them.

Can't know what will happen.

Around me a whispering begins. In a language that I don't know, I'm not familiar with it. Except that the words clearly have power, and there is something... faintly recognisable about it. Except that I can't name it. It's clearly not latin, for all that some of it sounds distantly familiar in that odd way that latin is.

No, this language gives off the sense of being older.

Being stronger.

And the tingling is back, up over my arms, across my back, in my head and my entire body. But now it's less, watching and more investigating. As though it's looking for something in me. And I continue to breath, keeping my head bowed and my eyes closed. Until the whispering settles just a little bit, and I get the sense of someone, or something else being there with me. It's not Fugaku-shukufu.

But it doesn't feel dangerous.

It feels old, and powerful, and... Like an old friend. Comforting and safe, familiar.  _Family._

I open my eyes.


End file.
